Algae from the Great Salt Algae from the Great Salt Plains, OK, USA: Unexpected Plains, OK, USA: Unexpected

Range of Diversity and Range of Diversity and Halotolerance Halotolerance

Andrea Kirkwood & William HenleyAndrea Kirkwood & William HenleyDept. of Botany, Oklahoma State Univ.Dept. of Botany, Oklahoma State Univ.

www.okstate.edu/artsci/SPMO/www.okstate.edu/artsci/SPMO/

Mark & Julie BuchheimMark & Julie BuchheimDept. of Biology, Univ. of TulsaDept. of Biology, Univ. of Tulsa

Other PIs: Robert Miller (OSU) & Other PIs: Robert Miller (OSU) & Mark Schneegurt (Wichita State Univ.)Mark Schneegurt (Wichita State Univ.)

~750 km

Marine via migratory waterfowlMarine via migratory waterfowl

Other Great Plains saline habitats Other Great Plains saline habitats

Local soils and freshwater creeksLocal soils and freshwater creeks

Endemic for millenia (Permian brine)Endemic for millenia (Permian brine)

Sources of SP halotolerant microbes?Sources of SP halotolerant microbes?

RESEARCH OBJECTIVESRESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Henley LabHenley Lab

Isolate (novel) algae/cyanobacteria from Isolate (novel) algae/cyanobacteria from SPNWR soil/waterSPNWR soil/water

Characterize isolates phylogenetically & Characterize isolates phylogenetically & physiologicallyphysiologically

Relate community species composition to Relate community species composition to spatial and temporal variation in salinity spatial and temporal variation in salinity and other environmental conditionsand other environmental conditions

Photo © Photo © 2003 NAIP aerial image database2003 NAIP aerial image database

SPNWR conditions are harsh & variable…SPNWR conditions are harsh & variable…

SPNWR conditions are harsh & variable…SPNWR conditions are harsh & variable…

24 July 200224 July 2002 5 August 20025 August 2002

23 July 200223 July 2002

SPNWR: many microhabitats in space/time SPNWR: many microhabitats in space/time

How does such variability affect:How does such variability affect:

- survival and physiology of individual taxa? - survival and physiology of individual taxa?

- microbial community composition?- microbial community composition?

Some algae from SPNWRSome algae from SPNWR

GeitlerinemaGeitlerinema

AphanotheceAphanotheceDunaliellaDunaliella

Colonial! Colonial! DunaliellaDunaliella

pennate diatomspennate diatoms

heterocystous heterocystous cyanobacteriumcyanobacterium

Pico-Pico-chlorumchlorum

ExampleExample: : DunaliellaDunaliella

BuchheimBuchheim et al., in prep. et al., in prep.

SPMO endemism, SPMO endemism, adaptive radiation?adaptive radiation?

MP Analysis of ITS-1 and ITS-2 data (SPMO isolates in blue)

Kirkwood & Henley, submittedKirkwood & Henley, submitted

Salinity ToleranceSalinity Tolerance

CyanosCyanos

DiatomsDiatoms

ChlorosChloros

}

Salinity-screening: SummarySalinity-screening: Summary

Note: Note: EveryEvery soil/water sample yields algae @ <10% salinity media! soil/water sample yields algae @ <10% salinity media!

0 5 10 15 20Salinity (%)

?

Cyanobacteria

Diatoms

Chlorophytes

Clone Library vs. IsolatesClone Library vs. Isolates

16S rDNA clone 16S rDNA clone library sequences library sequences closely matching closely matching culture isolatesculture isolates

(Komvophoron sp.)

(Komvophoron sp.)

Numerous clone library Numerous clone library sequences with few sequences with few

cultured relativescultured relatives

Future WorkFuture Work

Compare clone libraries from soil/water to our culture isolates Compare clone libraries from soil/water to our culture isolates quant-/qualitatively, and use libraries to drive isolations.quant-/qualitatively, and use libraries to drive isolations.

Compare morphological isolates vs. 16S/18S rDNA sequences Compare morphological isolates vs. 16S/18S rDNA sequences and physiology: cryptic variation?and physiology: cryptic variation?

Does salinity tolerance of algal/cyanobacterial isolates match Does salinity tolerance of algal/cyanobacterial isolates match field distributions?field distributions?

Characterize associations between algae/cyanos and bacteriaCharacterize associations between algae/cyanos and bacteria

Assess spatial/temporal changes in cyano/algal community Assess spatial/temporal changes in cyano/algal community (morphological ID? DGGE? ): is it predictable?(morphological ID? DGGE? ): is it predictable?

Is there a quantifiable measure of microbial stress on the flats? Is there a quantifiable measure of microbial stress on the flats? What really matters – salt, UV, temp., nutrients?What really matters – salt, UV, temp., nutrients?

www.bio.utexas.edu/research/utexwww.bio.utexas.edu/research/utex

http://ccmp.bigelow.org/http://ccmp.bigelow.org/

QUESTIONS????QUESTIONS????