Molecular phylogenetics and systematics of the bivalve family Ostreidae based on rRNA sequence-structure models and multilocus species tree

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 24;9(9):e108696. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108696. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The bivalve family Ostreidae has a worldwide distribution and includes species of high economic importance. Phylogenetics and systematic of oysters based on morphology have proved difficult because of their high phenotypic plasticity. In this study we explore the phylogenetic information of the DNA sequence and secondary structure of the nuclear, fast-evolving, ITS2 rRNA and the mitochondrial 16S rRNA genes from the Ostreidae and we implemented a multi-locus framework based on four loci for oyster phylogenetics and systematics. Sequence-structure rRNA models aid sequence alignment and improved accuracy and nodal support of phylogenetic trees. In agreement with previous molecular studies, our phylogenetic results indicate that none of the currently recognized subfamilies, Crassostreinae, Ostreinae, and Lophinae, is monophyletic. Single gene trees based on Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian (BA) methods and on sequence-structure ML were congruent with multilocus trees based on a concatenated (ML and BA) and coalescent based (BA) approaches and consistently supported three main clades: (i) Crassostrea, (ii) Saccostrea, and (iii) an Ostreinae-Lophinae lineage. Therefore, the subfamily Crassostreinae (including Crassostrea), Saccostreinae subfam. nov. (including Saccostrea and tentatively Striostrea) and Ostreinae (including Ostreinae and Lophinae taxa) are recognized [corrected]. Based on phylogenetic and biogeographical evidence the Asian species of Crassostrea from the Pacific Ocean are assigned to Magallana gen. nov., whereas an integrative taxonomic revision is required for the genera Ostrea and Dendostrea. This study pointed out the suitability of the ITS2 marker for DNA barcoding of oyster and the relevance of using sequence-structure rRNA models and features of the ITS2 folding in molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy. The multilocus approach allowed inferring a robust phylogeny of Ostreidae providing a broad molecular perspective on their systematics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Bivalvia / classification*
  • Bivalvia / genetics
  • DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Phylogeny*
  • RNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • RNA, Ribosomal / genetics*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal

Associated data

  • GENBANK/LM993864
  • GENBANK/LM993865
  • GENBANK/LM993866
  • GENBANK/LM993867
  • GENBANK/LM993868
  • GENBANK/LM993869
  • GENBANK/LM993870
  • GENBANK/LM993871
  • GENBANK/LM993872
  • GENBANK/LM993873
  • GENBANK/LM993874
  • GENBANK/LM993875
  • GENBANK/LM993876
  • GENBANK/LM993877
  • GENBANK/LM993878
  • GENBANK/LM993879
  • GENBANK/LM993880
  • GENBANK/LM993881
  • GENBANK/LM993882
  • GENBANK/LM993883
  • GENBANK/LM993884
  • GENBANK/LM993885
  • GENBANK/LM993886
  • GENBANK/LM993887

Grants and funding

PM wishes to thank the University of Roma Tre for financial support. DS is supported by the project “Genomics and Evolutionary Biology” co-financed by North Portugal Regional Operational Program (ON.2) under NSRF through the European Regional Development Fund and by the post-doctoral grant SFRH/BPD/66592/2009 by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) under the Programa Operacional Potencial Humano – Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional funds from the European Social Fund and Portuguese Ministério da Educação e Ciência. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.