<i>Heterochlamydomonas uralensis</i> sp. nov. (Chlorophyta, Chlamydomonadaceae), New Species Described from the Mountain Tundra Community in the Subpolar Urals (Russia)

Abstract

This paper describes a new species from the class Chlorophyceae, Heterochlamydomonas uralensis sp. nov., isolated from the soil of the carex-moss-lichen tundra in the Subpolar Urals Mountains, Russia. The taxon is studied using morphological methods and DNA identification. Heterochlamydomonas uralensis differs from other Heterochlamydomonas spp. by cellular morphology, detected on light and ultrastructural levels, and 18S and ITS2 rDNA sequences. These results support the separation of the species Heterochlamydomonas uralensis sp. nov. This study is important for connecting data from DNA metabarcoding with species described on the basis of morphological characteristics.

Keywords

• genus <i>Heterochlamydomonas</i>
• unicellular green algae
• the Urals
• molecular phylogeny
• 18S rDNA
• ITS2 rDNA