Molecular phylogeny of morphologically diverse cyanobacteria based on ribosomal conserved sequence

Abstract

Morphology and cytological studies are the basis for the conventional identification and taxonomy of cyanobacteria. But it is found that most of the cyanobacterial species change their morphological features in accordance with critical conditions of the ecosystem. Therefore, conventional methods may not be sufficient for the identification of the organism at the species level. In this study, molecular characterization is recommended as a much more reliable technique for better identification of cyanobacteria. Marine and fresh water samples were collected from Kurumadai and Tiruchirappalli respectively. From the purified samples, three strains, Leptolynbya valderiana NTDM10, Oscillatoria boryana NTDM11and Planktothrix pseudoagardhii NTRD01 were selected for the further molecular characterization based on the 16S rDNA sequences. The sequences were deposited to GenBank with accession numbers JQ867392, JQ867393 and JQ867394. Evolutionary relationships and secondary structure prediction was carried out with the sequences. Biomolecular characteristics of the three cyanobacterial strains were also studied by FTIR spectroscopy.