Chalicogloea cavernicola gen. nov., sp. nov. (Chroococcales, Cyanobacteria ), from low-light aerophytic environments: combined molecular, phenotypic and ecological criteria

• DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.045468-0
• Publication Date: 2012-11-24T04:42:14Z
• Authors: M. Roldán; M. Ramírez; J. del Campo; M. Hernández-Mariné; J. Komárek
• Keywords: Phycobiliprotein

This work characterizes a unicellular cyanobacterium with nearly spherical cells and thin-outlined sheaths that divide irregularly, forming small packets immersed in diffluent mucilaginous layer. It was isolated growing on calcite speleothems walls show cave Collbató (Barcelona, Spain). Spectral confocal laser transmission electron microscopy were used to describe the morphology, fine structure thylakoid arrangement. The pigments identified phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin chlorophyll a. Three-dimensional reconstructions, generated from natural fluorescence z-stacks, revealed large surface area of flat, arm-like thylakoidal membranes connected each other unified way that, our knowledge, has never been described before. Phylogenetic analyses using 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 95% similarity strain Chroococcus sp. JJCM (GenBank accession no. AM710384). diacritical phenotypic features do not correspond any species currently described, genetic traits support being classified as first member an independent genus order Chroococcales family Chroococcaceae. Hence, we propose name Chalicogloea cavernicola gen. nov., nov. under provisions International Code Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi Plants. type is COLL 3(T) (=CCALA 975(T) =CCAP 1424/1(T)).