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Morphological and molecular characterization within 26 strains of the genus C ylindrospermum ( N ostocaceae, C yanobacteria), with descriptions of three new species
Author(s) -
Johansen Jeffrey R.,
Bohunická Markéta,
Lukešová Alena,
Hrčková Kristýna,
Vaccarino Melissa A.,
Chesarino Nicholas M.
Publication year - 2014
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/jpy.12150
Subject(s) - biology , clade , taxon , phylogenetic tree , internal transcribed spacer , genus , synonym (taxonomy) , 16s ribosomal rna , sensu , zoology , phylogenetics , ribosomal rna , evolutionary biology , botany , genetics , gene
Twenty‐six strains morphologically identified as C ylindrospermum as well as the closely related taxon C ronbergia siamensis were examined microscopically as well as phylogenetically using sequence data for the 16S r RNA gene and the 16S‐23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S r RNA revealed three distinct clades. The clade we designate as C ylindrospermum sensu stricto contained all five of the foundational species, C . maius , C . stagnale , C . licheniforme , C . muscicola , and C . catenatum . In addition to these taxa, three species new to science in this clade were described: C . badium , C . moravicum , and C . pellucidum . Our evidence indicated that C ronbergia is a later synonym of C ylindrospermum . The phylogenetic position of C ylindrospermum within the N ostocaceae was not clearly resolved in our analyses. C ylindrospermum is unusual among cyanobacterial genera in that the morphological diversity appears to be more evident than sequence divergence. Taxa were clearly separable using morphology, but had very high percent similarity among ribosomal sequences. Given the high diversity we noted in this study, we conclude that there is likely much more diversity remaining to be described in this genus.