DNA Barcoding and ITS-tufA multi-local molecular phylogeny of nitrophilic alga Prasiola crispa growing on penguin guano at Larsemann Hills, Eastern Antarctica

Abstract

Antarctica is the coldest and driest continent globally and has always been an exciting habitat to study extremophiles. The study reveals a monostromatic nitrophilic green alga Prasiola crispa (Trebouxiophyceae) growing on Adelie penguin guano at a penguin rockery, Larsemann Hills, Eastern Antarctica. This study is the first report of the barcode of this algal genus from Eastern Antarctica in general and the Larsemann Hills in particular. There are 35 species currently accepted in this genus, while four were reported from Antarctica. The present study relied on morphological diagnoses as well as the phylogenetic inference based on nuclear-encoded ITS gene and plastid-encoded tufA gene for species identification. The study generated phylogenetic reconstruction at the two selected loci for the first time for this species from Antarctica.