9408283 Wee Freshwater, scale-covered algae called "golden algae" are common throughout the world, but their taxonomic classification is problematic and their phylogenetic relationships are poorly known. Most collections are identified as the genus Mallomonas or as Synura, but considerable variability hides within the bounds of these convenient categories. Dr. James Wee of Loyola University, with colleagues at Tulane University and elsewhere, is addressing this problem by studying morphological features of the siliceous scales and cellular ultrastructure while adding significant new data from DNA sequencing of nuclear ribosomal genes. Mutational differences among species in these synurophyte algae will be assessed and used to construct likely phylogenetic trees, which in turn can be used to evaluate changes in morphological features employed as taxonomic discriminators. Synurophyte species are key environmental indicators in lake acidification studies, are associated with taste and odor causing compounds in potable water supplies, and are used in basic biological research on cell structure. Reliable taxonomic identification, stable classification, and robust phylogenetic analysis will improve both their utility and our understanding of their ecology and evolution.
