Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
Volume 101, Issue 7, Pages 1127-1140Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400025
Keywords
ecological specialization; genetic differentiation; host plant specificity; lichenized ascomycetes; phorophyte; photobiont; Ramalina menziesii; Ramalinaceae; symbiosis; Trebouxia decolorans; Trebouxiophyceae
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Funding
- National Geographic Award
- Swiss National Foundation [PBBEA-111207]
- European Commission within FP7 (LICHENOMICS)
- UCLA Senate research award
- UCLA Life Science funds
- National Science Foundation award [DEB-0089445]
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Premise of the study: Many lichens exhibit extensive ranges spanning several ecoregions. It has been hypothesized that this wide ecological amplitude is facilitated by fungal association with locally adapted photobiont strains. Methods: We studied the identity and geographic distribution of photobionts of the widely distributed North American lichen Ramalina menziesii based on rbcL (chloroplast DNA) and nuclear ribosomal ITS DNA sequences. To test for ecological specialization, we associate photobiont genotypes with local climate and phorophyte. Key results: Of the photobiont lineages of R. menziesii, 94% belong to a clade including Trebouxia decolorans. The remaining are related to T. jamesii. The photobionts showed (1) significant structure according to ecoregion and phorophyte species and (2) genetic associations with phorophyte species and climate. Conclusions: Geography, climate, and ecological specialization shape genetic differentiation of lichen photobionts. One great advantage of independent dispersal of the fungus is symbiotic association with locally adapted photobiont strains.
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