The microalgae of Itasca State Park,
Minnesota,
lakes.
Microbial Observatory at Itasca State Park - Supported by the National Science Foundation
Investigators:
Marvin W. Fawley, Ph.D. and Karen P. Fawley, Ph.D., North Dakota State University
Craig Bailey, Ph.D., University of North Carolina ,Wilmington.
Current students (only NDSU listed):
Harini Mondoli, graduate student, North Dakota State University
Ajay Yekkirala, graduate student, North Dakota State University
Megen Hege, undergraduate student, North Dakota State University
Justin Tripp, undergraduate student, North Dakota State University
Former students and postdoc (only NDSU listed)
Joni Johnson, former graduate student, North Dakota State University (MS, 2005)
Mohamed Fakhr, Ph.D., North Dakota State University, former postdoc
Matt Hoffman, former graduate student, North Daktoa State University
Michelle Dean, former graduate student, North Dakota State University (MS, 2001)
Steph Dimmer, former undergraduate student, North Dakota State University Educational Section
Abby Brauch, former undergraduate student, North Dakota State University
Alison Hagameister, former undergraduate student, North Dakota State University
Jordan Sand, former undergraduate student, North Dakota State University
Shawn Parisian, undergraduate student, North Dakota State University
Additional Collaborators: New Species Link
Heather Owen, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Mark Buchheim, Ph.D., The University of Tulsa
Julie Buchheim, The University of Tulsa
Tanie Brodigan, Bismarck State College
Project Goals
We are isolating and identfying coccoid algae from several lakes and ponds in Itasca State Park. In order to identify these organisms, we first establish unialgal cultures of coccoid algae from water samples. DNA is then isolated from each algal culture, and the appropriate loci are then amplifed using PCR. The PCR products are cut with restriction enzymes and the resulting DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis (PCR-RFLP). Finally, we sequence the PCR product from any isolate that produces a unique PCR-RFLP pattern. All isolates are also characterized by light microscopy. Through the use of appropriate DNA sequences, we can identify the organism to at least genus level. By working with isolates from different sites, we can begin to understand the ecology and distribution of these organisms.
The major goals of this project are to identify new species of coccoid algae and to investigate the distribution and ecology of these organisms.
Project Goals:
1) discovery of new taxa
2) develop reliable genetic criteria for the identification of coccoid algae
3) establish a reference collection of coccoid algae for taxonomic and phylogenetic investigations
4) understand the distribution and population dynamics of different taxa of coccoid algae in different lake types
5) investigate higher-level systematics of coccoid algae
6) involve other phycologists working with additional algal groups
New publications
Fawley, M.W. and Fawley, K.P. 2004. A simple and rapid technique for the isolation of DNA from microalgae. Journal of Phycology 40:223-225. Full text online. This is an electronic version of an article published in Journal of Phycology ©2004, the Phycological Society of America.
Fawley, M.W., Fawley, K.P., and Buchheim, M.A. 2004. Molecular diversity among communities of freshwater microchlorophytes. Microbial Ecology 48:489-499, online at: http://www.springerlink.com/index/10.1007/s00248-004-0214-4
Fawley, M.W., Fawley, K.P. and Owen, H.A. 2005. Diversity and ecology of small coccoid green algae from Lake Itasca, Minnesota, USA, including Meyerella planktonica, gen. et sp. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Phycologia 44:35-48. Abstract
W. J. Henley, J. L. Hironaka, L. Guillou, M. A. Buchheim, J. A. Buchheim, M. W. Fawley and K. P. Fawley. 2004. Phylogenetic analysis of the "Nannochloris-like" algae and diagnoses of Picochlorum oklahomensis gen. et sp. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Phycologia 43:641-652. Abstract
M.W. Fawley, M. L. Dean, S. K. Dimmer, and K. P. Fawley. Evaluating the morphospecies concept in the Selenastraceae (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta). 2006. Journal of Phycology 42:142-154. Full text online. This is an electronic version of an article published in Journal of Phycology ©2006, the Phycological Society of America.
Bailey, J.C. and Misner, I.J. Phylogenetic positions of the colorless, colonial iron-flagellate Anthophysa vegetans and Polykaryon pyrenoidosum gen. et comb. nov. (Heterokontophyta). In revision for European Journal of Phycology. Abstract
Bailey, J.C., Misner, I.J., Gay, M.D. and Dillaman, R.M. An ultrastructural study of vegetative cell of Polykaryon pyrenoidosum (Heterokontophyta). In revision for European Journal of Phycology. Abstract
Manuscripts submitted
Fawley, K.P. and Fawley, M.W. Molecular Analyses Reveal Extensive Cryptic Diversity in the Freshwater Picoplankter, Choricystis (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Submitted to Phycologia.
Johnson, J., Fawley, K.P. and Fawley, M.W. The diversity of Scenedesmus and Desmodesmus (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) at Itasca State Park, Minnesota. Submitted to Phycologia.
Manuscripts in preparation
Fawley, K.P. and Fawley, M.W. Observations on the diversity and ecology of freshwater Nannochloropsis (Eustigmatophyceae). In preparation for Protist.
Yekkirala, A., Fawley, K., Fawley, M., Anderson, M., and Hutchison, R. Altered gene expression in cold adapted and cold sensitive chlamydomonads can be studied using cDNA microarrays. In preparation for J. Phycol.
New findings
The Eustigmatophyceae of Itasca State Park.
The Eustigmatophyceae are a group of yellow-green algae (chromophytes). The class is considered to comprise a single order and 7 genera with only a few species (John, Whitton and Brook, The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles). However, we have found abundant diversity among eustig isolates in Itasca State Park. Some of this diversity has been characterized by 18S rDNA sequence analysis, and a manuscript describing some new species is in preparation. In the meantime, data on our eustigmatophye isolates has been compiled by site and can be viewed on this web site. See also are results on the eustigmatophyte, Nannochloropsis, below.
North Deming Pond Eustigmatophyceae
West Twin Lake and Bog D Eustigmatophyceae
Choricystis Lipids
A new study of the lipids and hydrocarbons of five isolates of Choricystis indicates that in these widespread freshwater picoalgae, variations in hydrocarbon and fatty alcohol compositions are conguent with the evolutionary history of this group as determined by analysis of the rbcL gene sequence. These findings indicate that Choricystis is highly diverse and probably should be split into multiple genera and several species. Work is ongoing to expand this survey to additional isolates. Our large and diverse collection, mostly derived from the Itasca Microbial Observatory, will provide the bulk of the isolates for this project. Results of this study were presented at the 22nd International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry (22nd IMOG), Seville, Spain,12-16 September 2005, by our colleague, Pierre Metzger, Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Paris.
Nannochloropsis
We have recently been investigating the diversity among our isolates of Nannochloropsis (Eustigmatophyceae). Most described species of Nannochloropsis are marine, but a single species of freshwater Nannochloropsis, N. limnetica, has been described previously, based upon habitat and 18S rDNA sequence. During our studies of the lakes of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge (ND) we isolated 25 Nannochloropsis isolates. We have only a single isolate from this lineage from Itasca. Molecular studies are not complete, but we have thus far detected 4 different types of Nannochloropsis among our isolates based upon 18S and rbcL sequence analyses. One of these types possesses sequences identical to N. limnetica from Germany, but the other three are undoubtedly new species. Our intensive sampling has also allowed us to determine that Nannochloropsis spp. are common only during cold water periods. Some pictures of these organisms are below.
AS3-9, an Arrowwood isolate
of Nannochloropsis limnetica.
AN 1/12-5, a new
Nannochloropsis sp. from Arrowwood.
Tow 2/24 P-1w,
a new Nannochloropsis sp. from Itasca.
Interesting news
Joni Johnson, MS student at NDSU, received a Grant-in-aid-of-research from the Phycological Society of America to study the ultrastructure of Itasca isolates of Desmodesmus. Joni will receive her MS in 2005.
Congratulations to Mariah Veit, undergrad at The University of Tulsa, who won an award at the SACNAS conference for her Itasca MO poster "Molecular Diversity of Green Microalgae: The Itasca Example." Below is a TU press release on the conference ---
Five undergraduate students represented the University of Tulsa at the SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) national meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 2-5, 2003. Britney Grayson, Tamara James, Jacob Painter and Mariah Veit from Biological Science, and Matthew Morgan from Mathematics and Computer Sciences, all presented poster talks on their research. There were over 400 posters and 36 graduate student oral presentations given by the more than 2,000 students from across the United States and Puerto Rico. Mariah Veit earned one of 14 awards given in Biology, which represented the top 6% of presentations in that discipline.
Links to other NSF Microbial Observatory Web Pages (Thanks to Bill Henley and the Salt Plains Microbial Observatory)
Our study sites include Lake Itasca, Mary Lake, Tower Pond, Picnic Pond, North Deming Pond, Bog D, and West Twin Lake.
Mary Lake
BogD
Lake Itasca
Picnic Pond
North Deming Pond
West Twin Lake
Preliminary Results - Descriptions and Pictures of coccoid isolates as we acquire them!
The data are organized by sample date. Within each date, isolates are organized by lake of origin, depth if multiple samples were taken, and whether the isolates are from phytoplankton (P) or tychoplankton (T) samples. Isolates from the deeper lakes, Mary and Itasca, are from three different depths. In addition, two different media have been used. Organisms isolated in Woods Hole + medium (Fawley et al. 1990) are labeled "w" and those isolated in DYIV medium are labeled "d". Thus far, we have only characterized almost all of the phytoplankton isolates. Characterization includes 18S PCR-RFLP, 18S sequences of new types, and digital micrographs of each isolate. In addition, some the 18S-26S ITS region and the rbcL gene will be characterized for some types. The linked spreadsheets indicate our progress, with additional links to micrographs and notes on each isolate. As sequences are submitted to GenBank, links will be provided for those sequences, as well. Unfortunately, we are rather behind in posting our results. We will continue to post new results as we get the time.
February 24 and March 24, 2001 isolates
Publications and presentations resulting from this work.
"The Pseudodictyosphaerium/Mychonastes Species Complex: Common Phytoplankters from Minnesota and North Dakota Lakes." Poster presented at the Phycological Society of America meeting at Estes Park, CO, July, 2001. (Pictures of organisms are low resolution in this PDF file). M. Fawley, K. Fawley
"The Diversity of Life from Domains to Species." Invited presentation by Marvin Fawley at the Evolution Symposium, North Dakota State University, Sept., 2001.
"Diversity of Coccoid Algae in Minnesota and North Dakota lakes." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America meeting at Madison, Wisconsin, August 2002. (PowerPoint presentation). M. Fawley, K. Fawley
"Differences among coccoid algae communities in North Dakota and Minnesota Lakes." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America meeting at Madison, Wisconsin, August 2002. K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Assessing the biodiversity of Monoraphidium using 18S rDNA sequences." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America meeting at Madison, Wisconsin, August 2002. M. Dean, K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Diversity of fusiform microchlorophyte algae from Itasca State Park, Minnesota." Poster resentation at the Phycological Society of America meeting at Madison, Wisconsin, August 2002. S. Dimmer, M. Dean, K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Diversity and Evolution of Autosporic Phytoplankton." Presentation to the Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Sept., 2002. (PowerPoint) M. Fawley
"Species diversity and community structure of coccoid algae." Microbial Observatories Project at Itasca State Park, Minnesota." Poster presented at the Microbial Observatories/LExEn Principal Investigators Workshop, Sept., 2002. M. Fawley, K. Fawley Abstract book from the MO/LExEN Principal Investigators Workshop.
"Diversity, Distribution, and Evolution of Coccoid Phytoplankton." Presentation to the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Oct., 2002. M. Fawley
"A Simple and Rapid Technique for the Isolation of DNA from Microalgae." J. Phycol. 40:223-225 (2004). M.Fawley and K.Fawley. Full text on-line. This is an electronic version of an article published in Journal of Phycology ©2004, the Phycological Society of America.
"Phylogeny and Systematics of Pseudodictyosphaerium, Mychonastes and Related Coccoid Green Algae (Chlorophyceae)." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America Annual Meeting at Gleneden Beach, OR, June, 2003. M. Fawley, K. Fawley
"Diversity of fusiform Microchlorophyte Algae from Minnesota and North Dakota." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America Annual Meeting at Gleneden Beach, OR, June, 2003. S. Dimmer, M. Dean, K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Diversity of the Choricysits (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae) from Minnesota and North Dakota Lakes." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America Annual Meeting at Gleneden Beach, OR, June, 2003. K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Diversity of Scenedesmus from Itasca State Park, Minnesota." Presentation at the Phycological Society of America Annual Meeting at Gleneden Beach, OR, June, 2003. J. Johnson, K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Diversity of Choricystis (Chlorophyta,Trebouxiophyceae) from Minnesota and North Dakota Lakes." Presentation to the Department of Biolgical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Sept., 2003. K. Fawley
"Diversity of fusiform Microchlorophyte Algae from Minnesota and North Dakota." Joint North Dakota/South Dakota EPSCoR conference, Fargo, ND, Sept. 2003. S. Dimmer, M. Dean, K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Diversity of Scenedesmus from Itasca State Park, Minnesota." Joint North Dakota/South Dakota EPSCoR conference, Fargo, ND, Sept. 2003. J. Johnson, K. Fawley, M. Fawley
"Biodiversity and species concepts: the eustigmatophyte paradigm." Bailey JC, Misner IJ, Gable JE, Fawley MW and Fawley KP. 25th Annual Southeastern Phycological Colloquy, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, Oct. 24-26, 2003
"Molecular Diversity of Green Microalgae: The Itasca Example." Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science national meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 2-5, 2003. Mariah Veit, The University of Tulsa
"Molecular diversity among communities of freshwater microchlorophytes." Fawley,M.W., Fawley, K.P., and Buchheim, M.A. Microbial Ecology, Online at: http://www.springerlink.com/index/10.1007/s00248-004-0214-4
"Diversity and ecology of freshwater Nannochloropsis (Eustigmatophyceae)." Fawley, K.P. and Fawley, M.W. Phycological Scociety of America Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA, August, 2004.
"Diversity of Chlamydomonadalean algae at Itasca State Park." Veit, M., Buchheim, J.A., Portman, R., Fawley, K.,Fawley, M. and Buchheim, M. Phycological Scociety of America Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA, August, 2004.
"A comparison of ITS sequences and cell wall structure of Scendesmus and Desmodesmus." Johnson, J. L., Fawley, K.P. and Fawley, M.W. Phycological Scociety of America Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA, August, 2004.
"The challenge of green algal diversity." Fawley, M.W. and Fawley, K.P. Phycological Scociety of America Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA, August, 2004.
"Eukaryotic microbial diversity: the Chlamydomonas example." Invited seminar by Mark Buchheim, California State University, Fresno, November 5, 2004.
"Lipid composition of some picophytoplanktonic Choricystis species from freshwater lakes. New insight into biomarkers from genetic studies." P. Metzger, K.P. Fawley, M.W. Fawley. 22nd International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry (22nd IMOG), Seville, Spain,12-16 September 2005.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DBI-0070387 and MCB-0084188. Additional funding provided by North Dakota EPSCoR and the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute.