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Phylogenetic study of G eitlerinema and M icrocystis ( C yanobacteria) using PC ‐ IGS and 16S–23S ITS as markers: investigation of horizontal gene transfer
Author(s) -
PiccinSantos Viviane,
Brandão Marcelo Mendes,
BittencourtOliveira Maria Do Carmo
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.12204
Subject(s) - phylogenetic tree , biology , phycocyanin , ribosomal rna , horizontal gene transfer , 16s ribosomal rna , 23s ribosomal rna , genetics , internal transcribed spacer , gene , operon , bacteria , cyanobacteria , escherichia coli , ribosome , rna
Selection of genes that have not been horizontally transferred for prokaryote phylogenetic inferences is regarded as a challenging task. The markers internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal genes (16S–23S ITS ) and phycocyanin intergenic spacer ( PC ‐ IGS ), based on the operons of ribosomal and phycocyanin genes respectively, are among the most used markers in cyanobacteria. The region of the ribosomal genes has been considered stable, whereas the phycocyanin operon may have undergone horizontal transfer. To investigate the occurrence of horizontal transfer of PC ‐ IGS , phylogenetic trees of G eitlerinema and M icrocystis strains were generated using PC ‐ IGS and 16S–23S ITS and compared. Phylogenetic trees based on the two markers were mostly congruent for G eitlerinema and M icrocystis , indicating a common evolutionary history among ribosomal and phycocyanin genes with no evidence for horizontal transfer of PC ‐ IGS . Thus, PC ‐ IGS is a suitable marker, along with 16S–23S ITS for phylogenetic studies of cyanobacteria.