Dried herbarium specimens of cyanobacteria (exsiccata) deposited over 100 years ago were analysed and characterized using combined morphological and molecular approaches. Six representative coccoid and filamentous cyanobacteria from two historic collections and a 15-year-old air-dried environmental sample were studied. Morphological features observed by light and electron microscopy were correlated with the results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Historic identifications achieved by means of classical morphology could thus be confirmed by extracted, amplified and sequenced 16S rRNA gene fragments. The results of this study open the possibility of providing genotypic characterizations to botanical type specimens, thus reconciling the botanical and bacteriological approaches to the taxonomic treatment of these micro-organisms.
AmannR. I.,
LudwigW.,
SchleiferK.-H.1995; Phylogenetic identification and in situ detection of individual microbial cells without cultivation. Microbiol Rev 59:143–169
BornetE.,
FlahaultC.1886; Révision des Nostocacées filamenteuses hétérocystées contenues dans les principaux herbiers de France. Ann Sci Nat Bot Paris Ser 37:323–381 (in French
CastenholzR. W.2001; General characteristics of the cyanobacteria. In Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology , 2nd edn. vol 1 pp 474–487 Edited by
BooneD. R.,
CastenholzR. W.
New York: Springer;
DoersM. P.,
ParkerD. L.1988; Properties of Microcystis aeruginosa and M. flos-aquae (Cyanophyta) in culture: taxonomic implications. J Phycol 24:502–508
DorI.,
HornoffM.1985; Salinity-temperature relations and morphotypes of a mixed population of coccoid cyanobacteria from a hot hypersaline pond in Israel. Mar Ecol 6:13–25[CrossRef]
ElenkinA. A.1938Sinezelenye vodorosli SSSR Monographia algarum cyanophycearum aquidulcium et terrestrium in finibus URSS inventarum . Pars spec 1, 2, Akad Moscow-Leningrad: Nauk SSSR;
Garcia-PichelF.,
Prufert-BeboutL.,
MuyzerG.1996; Phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses show Microcoleus chthonoplastes to be a cosmopolitan cyanobacterium. Appl Environ Microbiol 62:3284–3291
GeitlerL.1932; Cyanophyceae. In DrL. Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen-Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz vol. XIV: Leipzig: Akademischer Verlag; (1985 reprint: KönigsteIn Koeltz Scientific Books;
GolubicS.1967; Zwei wichtige Merkmale zur Abgrenzung der Blaualgengattungen (Two important criteria for delimitation of cyanophyte genera). Schweiz Z Hydrol 29:175–184 (in German
GolubicS.,
MarcenkoE.1965; Ueber Konvergenzerscheinungen bei Standortsformen der Blaualgen unter extremen Lebensbedingungen (Ecologically induced convergent morphologies in blue-green algae of extreme environments). Schweiz Z Hydrol 27:207–217 (in German
HoffmannL.2005; Nomenclature of Cyanophyta/Cyanobacteria: roundtable on the unification of the nomenclature under the Botanical and the Bacteriological Codes. Arch Hydrobiol Suppl 159:13–29
HondaD.,
YokotaA.,
SugiyamaJ.1999; Detection of seven major evolutionary lineages in cyanobacteria based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis with new sequences of five marine Synechococcus strains. J Mol Evol 48:723–739[CrossRef]
HugenholtzP.,
GoebelB. M.,
PaceN. R.1998; Impact of culture-independent studies on the emerging phylogenetic view of bacterial diversity. J Bacteriol 180:4765–4774
JanseI.,
MeimaM. W.,
KardinaalE. A.,
ZwartG.2003; High-resolution differentiation of Cyanobacteria by using rRNA-internal transcribed spacer denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:6634–6643[CrossRef]
KarstenU.2002; Effects of salinity and ultraviolet radiation on the concentration of mycosporine-like amino acids in various isolates of the benthic cyanobacterium Microcoleus chthonoplastes
. Phycological Res 50:129–134[CrossRef]
KomarekJ.,
AnagnostidisK.1999; Cyanoprokaryota, 1. Teil: Chroococcales. In Süsswasserflora von Mitteleuropa Band19/1 pp 1–548 Edited by
EttlH.,
GärtnerG.,
HeynigH.,
MollenhauerD.
Jena: Gustav Fischer Verlag (in German);
KossinskayaE. K.1949; Opredelitel' Morskikh Sineselenykh Vodorosley [ Determination Key of Marine Blue-Green Algae ]. pp. 1–278 Akad. Moscow-Leningrad: Nauk USSR (in Russian)
LapageS. P.,
SneathP. H. A.,
LesselE. F.,
SkermanV. B. D.,
SeeligerH. P. R.,
ClarkW. A.
(editors) 1992International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (1990 Revision) . Bacteriological Code Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology;
LyraC.,
LaamanenM.,
LehtimäkiJ. M.,
SurakkaA.,
SivonenK.2005; Benthic cyanobacteria of the genus Nodularia are non-toxic, without gas vacuoles, able to glide and genetically more diverse than planktonic Nodularia
. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55:555–568[CrossRef]
MoffittM. C.,
BlackburnS. I.,
NeilanB. A.2001; rRNA sequences reflect the ecophysiology and define the toxic cyanobacteria of the genus Nodularia
. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 51:505–512
OrenA.,
TindallB. J.2005; Nomenclature of the cyanophyta/cyanobacteria/cyanoprokaryotes under the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Arch Hydrobiol Suppl 159:39–52
OtsukaS.,
SudaS.,
ShibataS.,
OyaizuH.,
MatsumotoS.,
WatanabeM. M.2001; A proposal for the unification of five species of the cyanobacterial genus Microcystis Kützing ex Lemmermann 1907 under the Rules of the Bacteriological Code. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 51:873–879[CrossRef]
PalinskaK. A.,
LiesackW.,
RhielE.,
KrumbeinW. E.1996; Phenotype variability of identical genotypes: the need for a combined approach in cyanobacterial taxonomy demonstrated on Merismopedia -like isolates. Arch Microbiol 166:224–233[CrossRef]
PaulV. J.,
ThackerR. W.,
BanksK.,
GolubicS.2005; Benthic cyanobacterial bloom impact the reefs of South Florida (Broward County USA). Coral Reefs 24:693–697[CrossRef]
RajaniemiP.,
HrouzekP.,
KastovskaK.,
WillameR.,
RantalaA.,
HoffmannL.,
KomarekJ.,
SivonenK.2005; Phylogenetic and morphological evaluation of the genera Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Trichormus and Nostoc (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 55:11–26[CrossRef]
RippkaR.,
DeruellesJ.,
WaterburyJ. B.,
HerdmanM.,
StanierR. Y.1979; Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria. J Gen Microbiol 111:1–61[CrossRef]
StanierR. Y.,
SistromW. R.,
HansenT. A.9 other authors1978; Proposal to place the nomenclature of the cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) under the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. Int J Syst Bacteriol 28:335–336[CrossRef]
UtkilenH.,
SkulbergR.,
UnderdalB.,
GjølmeN.,
SkulbergR.,
KotaiJ.1996; The rise and fall of a toxigenic population of Microcystis aeruginosa (cyanophyceae/cyanobacteria) - a decade of observations in Lake Akersvatnet, Norway. Phycologia 35:189–197[CrossRef]
Van de PeerY.,
De WachterR.1994; treecon for Windows: a software package for the construction and drawing of evolutionary trees for the Microsoft Windows environment. Comput Appl Biosci 10:569–570
WardD. M.,
FerrisM. J.,
NoldS. C.,
BatesonM. M.,
KopkczynskiE. D.,
Ruff-RobertsA. L.1994; Species diversity in hot spring microbial mats as revealed by both molecular and enrichment culture approach - relationship between biodiversity and community structure. In Microbial Mats, Structure, Development and Environmental Significance (NATO ASI Series G 35) pp 33–44 Edited by
StalL. J.,
CaumetteP.
Heidelberg: Springer;
WardD. M.,
SantegoedsC. M.,
NoldS. C.,
RamsingN. B.,
FerrisM. J.,
BatesonM. M.1997; Biodiversity within hot spring microbial mat communities: molecular monitoring of enrichment cultures. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 71:143–150[CrossRef]
WaterburyJ. B.,
RippkaR.1989; Subsection I. Order Chroococcales Wettstein 1924, emend. Rippka et al. , 1979. In Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriologyvol. 3 pp 1728–1746 Edited by
StaleyJ. T.,
BryantM. P.,
PfennigN.,
HoltJ. G.
Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins;
WhittonB. A.,
PottsM.2000; Introduction to the cyanobacteria. In The Ecology of Cyanobacteria pp 1–11 Edited by
WhittonB. A.,
PottsM.
Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic;
WilmotteA.1994; Molecular evolution and taxonomy of the Cyanobacteria. In The Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria pp 1–25 Edited by
BryantD. A.
Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers;
WilmotteA.,
HerdmanM.2001; Phylogenetic relationships among the Cyanobacteria based on 16S rRNA sequences. In Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology , 2nd edn. vol 1 pp 487–493 Edited by
BooneD. R.,
CastenholzR. W.
New York: Springer;