Molecular techniques in
phytoplankton research: from allozyme electrophoresis to genomics
A. de Bruin, B.W. Ibelings, E. Van Donk-2003
Hydrobiologia, 491(1-3): 47-63
Abstract:
Molecular techniques have become a valuable tool in
phytoplankton studies over the past decades. The appropriate choice of a
technique from an increasing array of methods can be rather complex, because
different techniques are suitable for different questions or problems in
ecology and evolution. Each technique has its particular strengths and
weaknesses and is based upon different (theoretical) assumptions. Our aim is
to give a better insight in the (correct) use of various molecular
techniques in phytoplankton research, with special emphasis on the fields of
strain identification, differentiation of populations and the establishment
of phylogenetic relationships. The basic steps in the development of
molecular techniques like allozyme electrophoresis, RFLP, DGGE, SSCP, RAPD,
AFLP and microsatellites, and the application of these techniques in
phytoplankton research, are discussed. Furthermore, recent developments in
molecular biology, that have so far only found limited application in
phytoplankton studies, such as single-cell PCR, PCR assays combined with
molecular probes (Heteroduplex Mobility Assays or DNA arrays), Real-time
PCR, complete genome sequencing, multi-gene expression studies using
microarrays, and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs), are discussed. We
emphasise the relevance of fundamental and applied molecular studies on
phytoplankton for a wider community of ecologists and evolutionary
biologists.
(Netherlands Institute of Ecology
(NIOO-KNAW), Centre for Limnology, Rijksstraatweg 6, 3631 AC Nieuwersluis,
The Netherlands. E-mail: a.bruin@nioo.knaw.nl)