In 2018, as a subset study to discover indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 18 unreported bacterial strains were discovered. From the high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>98.8%) and formation of a robust phylogenetic clade, it was determined that each strain belonged an independent and predefined bacterial species. There were no official report that these 18 species were previously described in Korea; therefore, one strain of Williamsia, one strain of Rhodococcus, three strains of Microbacterium, three strains of Agromyces, one strain of Arthrobacter, one strain of Paeniglutamicibacter, one strain of Pseudarthrobacter, one strain of Nocardioides, one strain of Fibrella, one strain of Hymenobacter, one strain of Deinococcus, two strains of Fictibacillus, and one strain of Paenibacillus are described as unreported bacterial species in Korea. Gram reaction, basic biochemical characteristics, and colony and cell morphologies are described in the species description section.
In 2019, 43 bacterial strains were isolated from food, soil, marine environments, human, and animals related sources from the Republic of Korea. Based on the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, these isolates were allocated to the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes as unrecorded species in Korea. The 10 Bacteroidetes strains were classified into the families Bacteroidaceae, Chitinophagaceae, Cytophagaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, and Prolixibacteraceae (of the orders Bacteroidales, Chitinophagales, Cytophagales, Flavobacteriales, and Marinilabiliales, respectively). The 33 Firmicutes strains belonged to the families Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Planococcaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Leuconostocaceae, and Streptococcaceae (of the orders Bacillales, Clostridiales, and Lactobacillales). These unrecorded bacteria were determined based on taxonomic criterion (>98.7%; 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). In addition, their phylogenetic affiliation, as well as cell and colony morphologies, staining reactions, and physiological and biochemical properties were investigated. Therefore, we report 43 isolates as unrecorded species, and described basic features, isolation source, and locations of these strains.
During a survey of indigenous prokaryotic species diversity of the upstream Nakdong River, South Korea, 12 bacterial strains were isolated for further analysis. These bacterial strains were identified showing at least 98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with known bacterial species that were previously unreported in South Korea. The 12 bacterial strains were phylogenetically diverse and assigned to four classes, eight orders, nine families, and ten different genera. The isolates were identified as Leucobacter holotrichiae (99.1%), Leucobacter tardus (99.9%), Rhodococcus rhodochrous (99.9%), Tessaracoccus oleiagri (100%), and Paeniglutamicibacter cryotolerans (99.3%), of the class Actinobacteria; Bacillus coagulans (99.7%) and Bacillus wudalianchiensis (99.1%) of the class Bacilli; Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense (99.2%) and Paracoccus thiocyanatus (100%) of the class Alphaproteobacteria; and Ideonella azotifigens (99.0%), Polaromonas glacialis (99.3%), and Herbaspirillum seropedicae (99.5%) of the class Betaproteobacteria. The cellular and colonial morphology, biochemical properties, and phylogenetic position of these isolates were examined, and species descriptions are provided.
Algal genomics approaches provide a massive number of genome/transcriptome sequences and reveal the evolutionary history vis-à-vis primary and serial endosymbiosis events that contributed to the biodiversity of photosynthetic eukaryotes in the eukaryote tree of life. In particular, phylogenomic methods using several hundred or thousands of genes have provided new insights into algal taxonomy and systematics. Using this method, many novel insights into algal species diversity and systematics occurred, leading to taxonomic revisions. In addition, horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) of functional genes have been identified in algal genomes that played essential roles in environmental adaptation and genomic diversification. Finally, algal genomics data can be used to address the pangenome, including core genes shared among all isolates and partially shared strain-specific genes. However, some aspects of the pangenome concept (genome variability of intraspecies level) conflict with population genomics concepts, and the issue is closely related to defining species boundaries using genome variability. This review suggests a desirable future direction to merge algal pangenomics and population genomics beyond traditional molecular phylogeny and taxonomy.
An endemic endangered species, Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae (Danyang aster) B2015-0044, is cultivated at the Shingu Botanical Garden, which serves as the ex situ conservation institution for this species. In this work, we sequenced the chloroplast genome of A. altaicus var. uchiyamae B2015-0044. We found that the chloroplast (cp) genome of B2015-0044 was 152,457 base pairs (bps) in size: 84,247 bps of large single copy regions (LSC), 25,007 bps of inverted repeats (IRs), and 18,196 bps of small single copy regions. The B2015-0044 cp genome contains 79 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 4 RNA genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 3 pseudogenes. These results were identical to a previously reported cp genome (Park et al., 2017), except for two sites in introns and three in intergenic spacer (IGS) regions. For the intronic differences, we found that clpP.i1 had a 1-bp small simple repeat (SSR) (T) and petD.i had a 3-bp SSR (ATT). We found 1-bp SSRs in the IGSs of trnT_ggu~psbD and psbZ~trnG_gcc, C and A, respectively. The IGS of (ndhF)~rpl32 had a SNP. Based on our results, the cp genome of the A. altaicus var. uchiyamae can be classified into two genotypes, [C]1-[A]12-[T]12-[ATT]4-C and [C]2-[A]11-[T]11-[ATT]2-A.
Saussurea albifolia, a new species, is reported from the Baekdudaegan Mountains. It has distinctive morphological characteristics that distinguish it from other congeneric species of Saussurea in Korea; radical leaves persist or withered till flowering, white tomentose leaf beneath, campanulate involucre with browncobwebby hairs, and dark purplish phyllaries with acuminate tips. Saussurea albifolia is a new, endemic species, narrowly restricted to the Korean Peninsula as a consequence of adaptation to alpine or subalpine environments of the Baekdudaegan Area. Among the Korean species of Saussurea, S. gracilis Maxim., S. insularis Kitam., and S. seoulensis Nakai are morphologically similar to S. albifolia by having leaves with white hairs beneath and persistent radical leaves during blooming period. It has been well understood that Saussurea is one of the highly diversified and adaptable groups in Asteraceae and also that the currently recognized species in Korea likely significant underestimates its diversity on the Korean Peninsula.
According to Article 9.3 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code), a lectotype may be selected as the nomenclatural type from the original material, if the name was published without a holotype. While reviewing the genus Scrophularia collected in Northeast Asia, we found that two species, S. alata A. Gray and S. kakudensis Franch., were still untypified. S. alata has three specimens considered as syntypes in two herbaria, Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution. For S. kakudensis, two specimens considered as syntypes at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris were classified as normal specimens, not type specimens. Therefore, two species of Scrophularia L. namely, S. alata A. Gray and S. kakudensis Franch., are lectotypified. The lectotypes are kept in the Harvard University and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, respectively. Furthermore, some nomenclatural issues related to these names are discussed, and the photographs of the selected lectotypes are provided.
Ten new species of two families (Suberitidae and Polymastidae) are described from Korea. Six new species in Suberitidae: Plicatellopsis ramosa n. sp., Pseudosuberites anheungensis n. sp. P. youngilensis n. sp., Suberites hwasunensis n. sp., S. chujaensis n. sp. and S. rugosa n. sp. are compared with other similar reported species. All new species differ from previously reported species in morphology, texture, color, skeletal structure, and spicule type. Four new species in Polymastidae: Polymastia fistula n. sp., P. sasuensis n. sp., P. viridis n. sp., and Weberella haengwonensis n. sp. are different from previously reported species in the growth form of papillaes and fistules, color and spicule types. For example, Weberella haengwonensis is similar to Weberella verrucosa in shape, but differs based on surface papillaes and spicule sizes.
The diversity of scuticociliates (subclass Scuticociliatia Small, 1967) had previously been superficially investigated in Korea and only 10 species were reported according to the National Species List of Korea published in 2019. Here, we identify four scuticociliates, collected from three coastal water samples, by observing protargol-impregnated specimens. As a result, the present species belong to the order Pleuronematida Fauré-Fremiet in Corliss, 1956 and their lower taxonomic classifications are as follows: family Eurystomatellidae Miao et al., 2010 - Eurystomatella sinica Miao et al., 2010; family Pleuronematidae Kent, 1881 - Pleuronema grolierei Wang et al., 2008, P. setigerum Calkins, 1902, and Schizocalyptra aeschtae Long et al., 2007. The family Eurystomatellidae and the genus Schizocalyptra Dragesco, 1968 are reported for the first time in Korea. Considering that the scuticociliates are a species-rich group and very common in most habitats (including freshwater and terrestrial habitats), our findings indicate that we are far from understanding the complete diversity of Korean scuticociliates.