A new cyanobacterium from the everglades, Florida - Chamaethrix gen. nov

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are cosmopolitan group of phototrophic microbes with significant contributions to global primary production. However, their biodiversity, especially in tropical areas, is still largely unexplored. In this paper, we used a combination of molecular and morphological data to characterize a filamentous cyanobacterium isolated from a soil crust in the Everglades National Park in Florida. It is morphologically similar to the ubiquitous, polyphyletic Leptolyngbya, but phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and secondary structures of the 16S-23S ITS region revealed that our isolates form a monophyletic clade unrelated to Leptolyngbya sensu stricto. Apart from its phylogenetic position, we found that the strain possesses a unique combination of morphological and molecular characters, which have not been found in any other Leptolyngbya species. Due to these characteristics, together with its subtropical origin, we erect new monospecific genus Chamaethrix.