| Summary: | The evolutionary relationships of ten Antarctic cyanobacterial strains of the order Oscillatoriales isolated from King George Island and Deception Island, South Shetland Islands were studied by a polyphasic approach. Phenotypic observations of the morphological features and genotypic analyses (16S rRNA and ITS sequences) were performed. Based on major phenotypic features, the strains were divided into four distinct morphotypes: Leptolyngbya borchgrevinkii (A), Leptolyngbya frigida (B), Phormidium autumnale (C) and Wilmottia murrayi (D). This morphological identification was in global agreement with the evolutionary relationships. According to the phylogenetic analysis, the ten strains were divided into two major clades, containing related strain sequences with Leptolyngbya morphotypes in one clade and with morphotypes corresponding to Phormidium, Wilmottia and Microcoleus spp. in the other clade. Each major clade was divided into two sub-clades. For the first time, the 16S rRNA gene sequence of a strain corresponding to the Leptolyngbya borchgrevinkii morphotype (A) was determined, on the basis of strain KOVACIK-ANT 1990/4. The closest sequence to our morphotype A is the clone Fr252 isolated from microbial mat of Antarctic Lake Fryxell. Morphotype B is closest to sequences assigned to Leptolyngbya frigida isolated from microbial mats of lakes in continental East Antarctica. Morphotype C belongs to a cluster including strains with morphotypes corresponding to Phormidium autumnale from Antarctica, but also from Europe. Morphotype D is grouped with sequences of the morphotype assigned to Wilmottia murrayi isolated from Antarctica. CCAMBIO, BIPOLES
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