The best of both worlds: A combined approach for analyzing microalgal diversity via metabarcoding and morphology-based methods.

ABSTRACT: An increasing number of studies use next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze complex communities, but is the method sensitive enough when it comes to identification and quantification of species? We compared NGS with morphology-based identification methods in an analysis of microalgal (periphyton) communities. We conducted a mesocosm experiment in which we allowed two benthic grazer species to feed upon benthic biofilms, which resulted in altered periphyton communities. Morphology-based identification and 454 (Roche) pyrosequencing of the V4 region in the small ribosomal unit (18S) rDNA gene were used to investigate the community change caused by grazing. Both the NGS-based data and the morphology-based method detected a marked shift in the biofilm composition, though the two methods va

SUBMITTER: Groendahl S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5325584 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature