Nuclear rDNA and chloroplast rbcL, rbcS and IGS sequence data, and their implications from the Japanese, Korean, and North American harmful algae, Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae)

The toxic Heterosigma akashiwo has been found in coastal environments and its algal blooms have been associated with mass mortality in marine organisms and farmed fish. Over the last two decades, H. akashiwo has expanded its geographical range on a worldwide scale, though all populations are suspected to be a single species. To find strong molecular evidence, supporting this hypothesis we determined nuclear 18S , ITS and LSU rDNA, and chloroplast rbcL, rbcS and flanking IGS sequences from six isolates located in North America, Japan and Korea. We compared individual loci from molecular regions (e.g., 26.7 kbp of DNA sequence) and found all the isolates to have an identical genotype. Further, the long sequences allow us to compare all the partial sequences that have been reported from samples obtained in ten countries. All these sequence are nearly identical. This suggests that they have dispersed recently from one location. The sequences revealed here can be used as an additional option for making molecular comparisons of sequences from the same isolate.