Selectivity of photobiont choice in a defined lichen community: inferences from cultural and molecular studies

Abstract

Axenic cultures of lichen photobionts isolated from bark-inhabiting lichen thalli of the Physcietum adscendentis Ochsner were identified by light microscopy and sequence comparisons of internal transcribed spacer rDNAs to investigate principles of lichenization within a defined lichen sociological unit. The photobiont identity of eight lichen species is reported for the first time (photobiont species in square brackets): Lecania cyrtella (Ach.) Th. Fr. [Trebouxia arboricola Puym.], Lecania naegelii (Hepp) Diederich & v. d. Boom [Dictyochloropsis symbiontica Tscherm.-Woess], Candelaria concolor (Dicks) B. Stein [Trebouxia jamesii (Hildreth & Ahmadjian) Gärtner], Candelariella cf. reflexa (Nyl.) Lettau [T. jamesii], Lecanora spec. [T. arboricola], Phaeophyscia orbicularis (Neck.) Moberg [T. impressa Ahmadjian], Physcia adscendens (Fr.) H. Olivier [T. impressa] and Lecidella elaeochroma (Ach.) M. Choisy [T. arboricola] and could be confirmed for another two species, Physcia stellaris (L.) Nyl. [Trebouxia impressa] and Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. [Trebouxia arboricola]. The observation that pioneer lichens without vegetative propagules, growing on smooth bark, had Trebouxia arboricola as photobiont can be explained by the assumption of a free-living population of Trebouxia arboricola. Species of photobionts from Xanthoria parietina were morphologically and genetically different from those of Physcia adscendens and Phaeophyscia orbicularis, respectively; a finding that does not support the previous assumption that Xanthoria parietina takes over its algal partner from a Physcia species, at least at the sites investigated.