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THE CYANOBACTERIAL GENUS BRASILONEMA , GEN. NOV., A MOLECULAR AND PHENOTYPIC EVALUATION 1
Author(s) -
Fiore Marli Fátima,
Sant’Anna Celia Leite,
Azevedo Maria Teresa de Paiva,
Komárek Jiři,
Kaštovský Jan,
Sulek Josef,
Lorenzi And Adriana Sturion
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2007.00376.x
Subject(s) - biology , epiphyte , botany , genus , type species , phylogenetic tree , type (biology) , zoology , ecology , gene , genetics
Twelve populations of filamentous, heterocytous scytonematoid cyanobacteria from subaerophytic (mainly epiphytic) habitats in subtropical and tropical Brazil (São Paulo) were studied. The populations form a uniform cluster, which differs from the traditional scytonematoid genera genetically and by several indistinct, but typical morphological characters (fasciculation of filaments, rare false branching). Two strains were isolated in monospecific cultures. Molecular analyses were performed on these strains from natural populations taken from bromeliad leaves and iron water pipes. Because the results from 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated the separate position of this cyanobacterium at the generic level, a new genus, Brasilonema , is proposed with the type species Brasilonema bromeliae . The new genus is described using combined molecular and cytomorphological criteria, in accordance with the nomenclatorial recommendations of both the Bacteriological Code and the Botanical Code of Nomenclature (cf. Oren 2004). The ultrastructure of the type species was studied, and vacuole‐like structures in the cells were explained. The genus Brasilonema is commonly distributed, particularly in subaerophytic habitats from southeastern Brazil. The type species ( B. bromeliae ) has a rather curious ecology, living epiphytically (in phytothelmes) inside the vase‐shaped leaf rosettes of bromeliads.