Characterization of freshwater benthic biofilm-forming Hydrocoryne (Cyanobacteria) isolates from Antarctica

• Published in: Journal of Phycology
• Main Authors: Genuario, D. B., Correa, D.M., Komárek, J. (Jiří), Fiore, M.F.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: polar freshwater Anabaena; phylogeny; nifH gene; King George Island; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.12124; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0231329

We studied cyanobacterial isolates resembling the genus Hydrocoryne using a combination of morphology and phylogeny of 16S rRNA and nifH sequences. Four new cyanobacterial strains, isolated from biofilm samples collected from King George Island, Antarctica, were studied. In terms of morphology, these strains share traits similar to true Anabaena-morphotypes (benthic), whereas phylogenetic analysis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences grouped them with the sequence of the typespecies Hydrocoryne spongiosa, but not with sequences of the type-species from the genus Anabaena. This cluster is related to two other clusters formed by sequences of Anabaena. Partial nifH genes were sequenced from two strains. Two strains were using PCR with specific primers tested for the presence of genes involved in cyanotoxins (microcystin and saxitoxin) and protease inhibitor (aeruginosin, and cyanopeptolin).