Seasonality and inter-annual stability in the population genetic structure of Batrachospermum gelatinosum (Rhodophyta)

Abstract

Temporal population genetic studies have investigated evolutionary processes, but few have characterized the temporal patterns of reproductive system variation. Yet, temporal sampling may improve our understanding of reproductive system evolution through assessing the relative rates of selfing, outcrossing, and clonality. In this study, we focus on the monoicous, haploid-diploid freshwater red alga Batrachospermum gelatinosum. This species has a perennial, microscopic diploid phase (chantransia) that produces an ephemeral, macroscopic haploid phase (gametophyte). Recent work focusing on single time point genotyping suggested high rates of intragametophytic selfing, though there was variation among sites. We expand on this work by genotyping 191 gametophytes from four sites with reproductive system variation at multiple time points within and among years. Intra-annual data suggest shifts in gametophytic genotypes present throughout the gametophytic season. We hypothesize this pattern is likely due to the seasonality of the life cycle and the timing of meiosis among the chantransia. Inter-annual patterns were characterized by consistent genotypic and genetic composition, indicating stability in the prevailing reproductive system through time. Yet, our study identified limits to which available theoretical predictions and analytical tools can resolve reproductive system variation using haploid data. There is a need to develop better tools to understand the evolution of sex by expanding our ability to characterize the spatiotemporal variation in reproductive systems across diverse life cycles.