Genetic and Morphological Diversity of Botryllus schlosseri on the Turkish Coast

Date

2024-07-31

Author

Tohumcu, Begüm Ece
Öztürk, Esra
Karahan, Arzu

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Botryllus schlosseri is a vital model organism in the botryllid ascidian species. It is a crucial reference point for phylogenetic studies due to its ancestral position within the chordate lineage. Despite its acknowledged significance, research on B.schlosseri along the Turkish coasts is surprisingly limited. The unique features of the Turkish seas make it important to study B. schlosseri in this region as it can help understand potential lineages and adaptive evolution within the species. This study aims to address the gap in knowledge by using mitochondrial COI region sequencing and morphological analyses to identify haplotype groups and morphotypes collected from various locations along the Turkish coastline. Genetic and morphological analyses have already begun on B. schlosseri samples. The COI region was amplified for phylogenetic analysis, and morphological features will be examined using a stereo microscope. Preliminary results based on mitochondrial COI region sequencing have identified 26 distinct haplotype groups for B. schlosseri, ranging from the easternmost Artvin to the westernmost Karaburun stations. The observed haplotype diversity value of 0.8414 indicates a high genetic variation within the populations. Morphological analyses further revealed the presence of more than 20 morphotypes among these samples. Findings indicate that B.schlosseri populations have significant genetic and morphological diversity even within the limited confines of the Black Sea. Sequence and morphological analyses are ongoing for the remaining regions. This research underscores the importance of investigating this unique and valuable model organism in Turkish waters, revealing novel insights into its adaptive evolution and lineage diversification.

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https://eebst.ekoevo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EEBST2014.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/111893

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Graduate School of Marine Sciences, Conference / Seminar