Deciphering the symbiosis of endemic Usnea ghattensis and their photobiont Trebouxia sp. through molecular tools from the northern Western Ghats, India

Fatima, Shahnoor; P A, Ansil; K. C., RajeshKumar; Sharma, Bharati; Gaikwad, Subhash; Mohan, Arsha; Sequeira, Stephen

doi:10.21608/mb.2022.121262.1050

Deciphering the symbiosis of endemic Usnea ghattensis and their photobiont Trebouxia sp. through molecular tools from the northern Western Ghats, India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Biodiversity & Palaeobiology (Fungi & Lichens) Group, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, 411004, Maharashtra, Indiaز

² Department of Botany, Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam 682011, Kerala, India.

10.21608/mb.2022.121262.1050

Abstract

Usnea ghattensis is an endemic fruticose lichen species of northern Western Ghats, India. With the changing climate, pollution, land use management and growing population in these terrains, the diversity of endemic lichens of these pristine habitats are under threat. This study attempts to unravel the symbiotic association of flagship fruticose lichen species, Usnea ghattensis and their photobiont Trebouxia. Based on combined ITS and LSU data, β tubulin data, morphology and chemical evidence, Usnea ghattensis is placed in the Usnea clades 3 and 4, representing Asian Usnea species. The RPB1 data and analyses were also in congruence to that of β tubulin, however the phylogeny is not interpreted due to data deficiency. The ITS sequence data and phylogeny of photobiont of U. ghattensis were also established as an undescribed Trebouxia species belonging to Clade I within the genus Trebouxia. This is the first holistic attempt to study the lichen symbiosis of Usnea ghattensis from the Western Ghats of India.

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