Phylogenetic, chemical and morphological diversity of cyanobacteria from Portuguese temperate estuaries

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Viviana R Lopes (Author) Other; Vitor Ramos (Author) Other; Antonio Martins (Author) Other; Marcos Sousa (Author) Other; Martin Welker (Author) Other; Agostinho Antunes (Author) FCUP; Vitor M Vasconcelos (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Marine Environmental Research

Vol. 73

Pages: 7-16

ISSN: 0141-1136

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 54 Citations

Scopus - 60 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-DCD

DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2011.10.005

Abstract (EN): Cyanobacteria from estuarine habitats have been poorly studied regarding diversity and potential bioactive compounds production compared with their fresh and marine waters' congeners. In this work, 44 cyanobacteria isolates characterised from three Portuguese estuarine environments. Identification was performed based on diacritical morphological features of the isolates (e.g. cell shape, cell size, presence/absence of sheaths) and on 16S rRNA gene sequences phylogenetic analysis. Diversity of produced secondary metabolites was assessed by molecular and analytical tools. The isolates (mostly benthic forms) belonged to: (i) Chroococcales (Cyanobium, Synechocystis and Synechococcus), (ii) Oscillatoriales (Leptolyngbya, Microcoleus. Phormidium and Romeria) and (iii) Nostocales (Nostoc and Nodularia). 19 morphotypes were assigned at the species level, while phylogeny allowed us to distinguish 21 phylotypes spread amongst three distinct large clades. McyA and sxtl gene fragments were detected in some isolates, despite absence of toxins. Simultaneous presence of anabaenopeptins A and D was for the first time identified in Nostoc (LEGE06077). No correlation between morphological/phylogenetic relationships and the secondary-metabolite profile of the isolates was found. This is the first comprehensive study of estuarine cyanobacteria of Portuguese habitats revealing a diverse array of cyanobacteria that constitute an important source of potential bioactive compounds with ecological relevance and/or biomedical application.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10