2025 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 57-64
An Australian strain of the green algae genus Volvox, whose sexual reproduction was studied in 1978, was taxonomically identified on the basis of molecular and morphological data. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the actin gene and two plastid genes showed that the strain represents a new lineage within the Volvox sect. Volvox. The Australian strain was separated from its closely related species by the presence of at least one compensatory base change in the secondary structure of ITS-2. However, morphological data from asexual spheroids, bisexual spheroids and zygotes of the Australian strain suggested that it belonged to Volvox amboensis M.F. Rich & Pocock, which has not been previously studied using molecular data. The Australian strain of V. amboensis is available from Microbial Culture Collection at National Institute for Environmental Studies.
