Decoding the evolutionary association among lichen symbionts in Dyplolabia afzelii from the Western Ghats, India

Ansil, Parayelil A.; K. C., RajeshKumar; K., Harikrishnan; Sruthi, Onden P.; Gaikwad, Subhash; Sharma, Bharati

doi:10.21608/mb.2023.241013.1084

Decoding the evolutionary association among lichen symbionts in Dyplolabia afzelii from the Western Ghats, India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Biodiversity and Palaeobiology (Fungi and Lichens) Gr., MACS Agharkar Research Institute, G. G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411 004, Maharashtra, India.

² Faculty of Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411 005, Maharashtra, India.

10.21608/mb.2023.241013.1084

Abstract

This study delves into the intricate symbiotic relationship of a crustose lichen, Dyplolabia afzelii from the pristine habitats of the Western Ghats. This unique lichen genus is authenticated using polyphasic taxonomy for the first time in India through morphological, chemical and molecular phylogenetic (concatenated LSU, mtSSU and RPB2 analyses) tools. Additionally, this investigation ventures into the molecular realm by analyzing ITS sequence data and the phylogeny of the photobiont in D. afzelii and unveils an as-yet-undescribed Trentepohlia species closely related to Trentepohlia cf. arborum. This study also represents the pioneering effort to unravel the enigmatic lichen symbiosis within Dyplolabia, from India and reveals vital insights into this unique composite organism.

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