Morphology and molecular evaluation of Iphinoe spelaeobios gen. nov., sp. nov. and Loriellopsis cavernicola gen. nov., sp. nov., two stigonematalean cyanobacteria from Greek and Spanish caves.
Caves have generally been found to host phototrophic micro-organisms from various taxonomic groups, with cyanobacteria comprising an important group that have adapted to these stable and highly specific environments. A polyphasic study based on aspects of classical morphology and molecular data revealed two new monospecific genera from fresh material of Greek and Spanish caves. Both taxa are characterized by obligatory true branching (T-type, V-type and false branching), the presence of heterocysts, and reproduction by hormocysts and akinetes. They shared some similarities in their morphological characteristics as revealed by light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, but phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the two phylotypes were different (89.8% similarity); this represents an example of shared morphology in genetically different strains of cave-adapted species. Phenotypic and genetic traits strongly support classification of the phylotypes as independent taxa in the order Stigonematales (the most differentiated and complicated group of cyanobacteria), family Loriellaceae Geitl 1925. Hence, the names Iphinoe spelaeobios Lamprinou and Pantazidou gen. nov., sp. nov. and Loriellopsis cavernicola Hernández-Mariné and Canals gen. nov., sp. nov. are proposed.
University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Systematics, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15 784, Greece.
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Lamprinou
University of Barcelona, Faculty of Pharmacy, Botany, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Hernández-Mariné
University of Barcelona, Faculty of Pharmacy, Botany, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Canals
University of Thessaly, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nea Ionia 38 446, Greece.
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Kormas
University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Systematics, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15 784, Greece.
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Economou-Amilli
University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Systematics, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15 784, Greece.
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Pantazidou
D059552:Caves / Q000382:microbiology*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D006115:Greece; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013030:Spain
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S