中国水华蓝藻的新记录属——拟浮丝藻属(Planktothricoides)

在近年来对水华蓝藻的调查中,确定了我国一水华蓝藻新记录属--拟浮丝藻属Planktothricoides (Woloszynska)Such et Watanabe 2002.文中对该属及该属一个新记录种的主要形态学特征进行了描述,并对其相近属浮丝藻属Planktothrix进行了形态学比较研究.     

中国水华蓝藻的新记录属——拟浮丝藻属(Planktothricoides)

在近年来对水华蓝藻的调查中,确定了我国一水华蓝藻新记录属——拟浮丝藻属Planktothricoides(WoIoszyńska) Suda et Watanabe 2002。文中对该属及该属一个新记录种的主要形态学特征进行了描述,并对其相近属浮丝藻属Planktothrix进行了形态学比较研究。     

洱海的浮游蓝藻布氏常丝藻及其分类学的讨论

常丝藻(Tychonema)是1988年由Anagnostidis和Komárek从颤藻属分离出来而新成立的蓝藻属,以纤细常丝藻(T.tenue)为模式种类。目前确认的常丝藻有纤细常丝藻、博多常丝藻(T.bornetii)和布氏常丝藻(T.bourrellyi)三个种类。我国已经有博多常丝藻的纪录,但是对模式种纤细常丝藻和它的相似种类布氏常丝藻却没有报道。在洱海中采集到布氏常丝藻(T.bourrellyi),研究并描述了该藻的藻丝颜色、藻细胞内含物的结构、藻体形态特征等。同时,通过藻种的分离培养技术,得到了布氏常丝藻的纯培养藻株,编号为CHAB663,并且测定了藻株的16S rRNA基因序列。测序结果表明,该藻株与T.bouurrellyi/T.tenue聚为一族。洱海分布的布氏常丝藻,是在欧洲以外首次发现此种藻类,也是我国的新纪录种。研究说明布氏常丝藻不仅仅分布在温带欧洲较为寒冷的水体中,在亚热带的水体中也可以存在。布氏常丝藻被认为是出现在轻微富营养化湖泊中,而我国洱海也被认为是富营养化的初级阶段的水体,这也表明,布氏常丝藻的出现对洱海的水环境状况起到了指示作用。此外,研究还对常丝藻属分类学问题进行了讨论。     

淡水藻种库(FACHB)库藏产2-MIB蓝藻的鉴定及其产嗅特征研究

为认识产二甲基异莰醇(2-MIB)蓝藻的形态和产嗅特征,从国家水生生物种质资源库淡水藻种库中筛选出24株可产2-MIB藻株,描述了这些藻株的形态特征和生境分布。结合形态和16S rRNA基因分析对藻株进行物种鉴定复核,修订了部分库藏藻株物种名称,例如发现库藏产2-MIB的浮丝藻属种类应当被重新鉴定为拉氏拟浮丝藻或索状气丝藻。基于mic基因系统发育树分析,显示蓝藻mic基因形成5个分支。通过2-MIB含量检测发现,不同藻株间单个细胞总2-MIB含量为6—2549 fg/cell,其含量通常为拉氏拟浮丝藻>索状气丝藻>灰假鱼腥藻。研究提供了产2-MIB蓝藻的形态、分子、生态和产嗅特性等的基础数据,首次报道气丝藻、沙丝藻、苏打丝藻种类可产2-MIB,并在国内首次报道了产2-MIB的微鞘藻,为进一步研究产2-MIB蓝藻生理生态特性提供重要的实验材料和科学依据。     

中国蓝藻植物的新记录属-拟甲色球藻

拟甲色球藻(Chroococcidiopsis Geitler 1933)在全球分布广泛, 并在极端环境下多有发现, 但目前在中国尚无报道。研究在对太湖水体进行野外调查时观察到了水体中的Chroococcidiopsis, 并分离得到纯培养藻株, 编号为CHAB1690。拟甲色球藻属(Chroococcidiopsis)为我国新记录属, 本文描述了该属的特征。对16S rRNA基因进行测序分析表明: CHAB1690与拟甲色球藻属的模式种温泉拟甲色球藻(Chroococcidiopsis thermalis)基因序列相似度仅为91%, 暂未定种; CHAB1690与欧洲的两株未定种Chroococcidiopsis相似度较高, 并与大多数拟甲色球藻(Chroococcidiopsis)聚集在一起, 但仍有少数藻株聚集在距离较远的另一个类群。比较两个类群中藻株的最低相似率, 结果表明, 基于形态界定的拟甲色球藻属(Chroococcidiopsis)可能包含多个属。       

晋阳湖丝状蓝藻的形态学分析与分子鉴定北大核心CSCD

蓝藻是地球上最古老的生物之一,其形态结构较为简单,为产氧型光合作用的原核生物。山西省晋阳湖为华北地区最大的人工湖,该研究以采自晋阳湖水体及岸边附着的蓝藻为材料,采用经典毛细管法分离纯化出5株丝状蓝藻,利用光学显微镜观察其形态结构特征(如细胞形状、藻丝体宽度、是否有鞘)和显微结构,并采用16S rRNA序列分析其系统发育关系,以明确晋阳湖的蓝藻种类,为预防湖泊蓝藻水华的发生、维护水资源环境稳定与生态平衡提供理论数据。结果显示:(1)所分离纯化的5株丝状蓝藻依形态特征归属于3个科,其中2株(JYH005和JYH012)为细鞘丝藻亚科(Leptolyngbyaceae),2株(JYH008和JYH022)为伪鱼腥藻科(Pseudanabaenaceae),1株(JYH010)为沙丝藻科(Desertifilaceae)。(2)基于16S rRNA序列构建的系统发育树显示,5株丝状蓝藻中JYH005为结丝藻属(Nodosilinea)的一种;JYH008可归为Arthronema,该株蓝藻在培养条件下观察到不同的形态特征,可能为新物种;JYH010为沙丝藻属(Desertifilum)的一种;JYH012可归为细鞘丝藻属(Leptolyngbya);JYH022与伪鱼腥藻科聚为一支,由于与该科其他藻相似度低于90%,且不能聚为一支,因此只能归为伪鱼腥藻科。研究表明,基于16S rRNA序列系统发育分析与形态学鉴定结果相一致。该研究结果丰富了山西省晋阳湖丝状蓝藻的多样性,为该湖的资源利用和环境保护提供了一定的科学依据。     

古尔班通古特沙漠生物结皮微鞘藻分类学研究

实验研究了从古尔班通古特沙漠生物土壤结皮中分离纯化培养出的11株与微鞘藻(Microcoleus)形态接近的丝状蓝藻,通过形态特征、16S rRNA和ITS二级结构相结合的多相分析方法对其进行分类学研究。研究结果表明,实验藻株隶属于微鞘藻科(Microcoleaceae)的微鞘藻属(Microcoleus)和束脉藻属(Symplocastrum),其中包括2个中国新记录种:斯坦微鞘藻(Microcoleus steenstrupii)和细长束脉藻(Symplocastrum flechtnerii),另外还有具鞘微鞘藻(Microcoleus vaginatus)和类似斯坦微鞘藻的存疑物种。藻丝多少与排列方式、细胞大小与末端细胞形状,以及16S rRNA系统发育位置是确定微鞘藻(Microcoleus)与束脉藻(Symplocastrum)属于不同物种的关键依据, ITS二级结构是区分属内不同物种的重要参考。     

洱海鱼腥藻优势种的形态鉴定与16S rRNA 基因序列分析

分别在2004年、2005年和2006年洱海鱼腥藻水华暴发时期,分离优势种,获得藻株EH-A、EH-B和EH-C,通过形态学特征和16S rRNA基因序列分析鉴定了藻株的种类.选用藻丝的形态、气囊的存在与否、异形胞和孢子的位置、各种细胞的形状以及营养细胞、异形胞和孢子的大小等传统的分类特征描述藻株的形态.依据形态特征,初步判断这3个藻株可能为卷曲鱼腥藻(Anabaena circinalis)或 A.crassa株系成员.利用16S rRNA基因序列构建邻接树分析了藻株间的系统进化关系,分析表明:藻株EH-A、EH-B和EH-C序列的同源性达到100%,且与A.circicular 和A.crassa藻株组成一个群(cluster),其藻株间的序列相似度高达100%,进一步说明藻株EH-A、EH-B和EH-C为相同的物种,且均为卷曲鱼腥藻(A.circinalis)或A.crassa.     

卵孢金孢藻(Chrysosporum ovalisporum)——中国水华蓝藻新记录

卵孢金孢藻(Chrysosporum ovalisporum(Forti)Zapomelováet al.)是一种在欧洲地中海地区和澳大利亚较常见的水华蓝藻,但我国目前还未有该物种分布的报道。本文对采自上海市滴水湖中的藻种进行分离培养,获得了一株纯化藻株CFWA01007,经光学显微镜观察,初步判定其为卵孢金孢藻,对其形态特征进行了详细描述并测定了其16S rRNA基因序列,结果与来自欧洲和北美的Chrysosporum ovalisporum(Forti)Zapomelováet al.相似度极高,故判断其即为卵孢金孢藻,这是该种在中国的首次发现。对该种的分类学和生态学特征进行了讨论。     

中国淡水共球藻纲新记录属种——土佐牧野藻(Makinoella tosaensis Okada)

报道分别从湖北省武汉市内和云南省西双版纳小水池中分离培养的两株绿藻,对其进行了形态和18S r DNA基因序列分析,编号分别为FACHB-1783和FACHB-1784。这两株绿藻具独特的四边形群体形态,通常为4或16个细胞,细胞为宽椭圆形至不规则卵圆形、细胞壁两端无增厚,叶绿体多数、片状,具蛋白核。结合形态和分子系统发育分析,确定这两株绿藻为我国1种淡水共球藻纲新记录属种——土佐牧野藻(Makinoella tosaensis Okada)。基于18S r DNA基因的系统发育研究表明这两株绿藻与分离自韩国的土佐牧野藻基因序列相似度可达99.6%~99.9%,并且以较高的支持值与土佐牧野藻聚在一起。     

不同无机碳转运基因型蓝藻对环境CO2变化的响应

为了探究不同无机碳(Ci)转运基因型蓝藻与湖泊水体pH变化的关系,文章优化了水体中不同无机碳转运基因型蓝藻相对丰度的检测方法,测定了太湖、滇池及武汉市18个湖泊中具有不同无机碳(Ci)转运基因型蓝藻的相对丰度,并结合水体pH进行分析。结果发现,在所有湖泊中均存在bicA株、sbtA株及bicA+sbtA株,其中sbtA株分布最为广泛;随着水体中pH升高, sbtA株优势度随之增加。为了进一步解析不同Ci转运基因型蓝藻对CO₂浓度变化的响应,研究了室内纯培养条件下bicA株、sbtA株及bicA+sbtA株分别在高浓度(1000 ppm)和低浓度(100 ppm)CO₂下的竞争。结果显示,在低Ci水平下sbtA株具有明显竞争优势,而在高Ci水平下bicA株占据了优势地位。上述研究表明随着CO₂浓度的上升,水华蓝藻中bicA株会具有竞争优势。大气CO₂浓度上升可能会显著影响水华蓝藻的群落组成。     

POLYPHASIC STUDY OF ANTARCTIC CYANOBACTERIAL STRAINS1

We isolated 59 strains of cyanobacteria from the benthic microbial mats of 23 Antarctic lakes, from five locations in two regions, in order to characterize their morphological and genotypic diversity. On the basis of their morphology, the cyanobacteria were assigned to 12 species that included four Antarctic endemic taxa. Sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene were determined for 56 strains. In general, the strains closely related at the 16S rRNA gene level belonged to the same morphospecies. Nevertheless, divergences were observed concerning the diversity in terms of species richness, novelty, and geographical distribution. For the 56 strains, 21 operational taxonomic units (OTUs, defined as groups of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences with more than 97.5% similarity) were found, including nine novel and three exclusively Antarctic OTUs. Sequences of Petalonema cf. involvens and Chondrocystis sp. were determined for the first time. The internally transcribed spacer (ITS) between the 16S and the 23S rRNA genes was sequenced for 33 strains, and similar groupings were observed with the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS, even when the strains were derived from different lakes and regions. In addition, 48 strains were screened for antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, and 17 strains were bioactive against the gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, or the fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans. The bioactivities were not in coincidence with the phylogenetic relationships, but rather were specific to certain strains.     

Evidence of high Ca uptake by cyanobacteria forming intracellular CaCO3 and impact on their growth

Several species of cyanobacteria biomineralizing intracellular amorphous calcium carbonates (ACC) were recently discovered. However, the mechanisms involved in this biomineralization process and the determinants discriminating species forming intracellular ACC from those not forming intracellular ACC remain unknown. Recently, it was hypothesized that the intensity of Ca uptake (i.e., how much Ca was scavenged from the extracellular solution) might be a major parameter controlling the capability of a cyanobacterium to form intracellular ACC. Here, we tested this hypothesis by systematically measuring the Ca uptake by a set of 52 cyanobacterial strains cultured in the same growth medium. The results evidenced a dichotomy among cyanobacteria regarding Ca sequestration capabilities, with all strains forming intracellular ACC incorporating significantly more calcium than strains not forming ACC. Moreover, Ca provided at a concentration of 50 μM in BG‐11 was shown to be limiting for the growth of some of the strains forming intracellular ACC, suggesting an overlooked quantitative role of Ca for these strains. All cyanobacteria forming intracellular ACC contained at least one gene coding for a mechanosensitive channel, which might be involved in Ca influx, as well as at least one gene coding for a Ca²⁺/H⁺ exchanger and membrane proteins of the UPF0016 family, which might be involved in active Ca transport either from the cytosol to the extracellular solution or the cytosol toward an intracellular compartment. Overall, massive Ca sequestration may have an indirect role by allowing the formation of intracellular ACC. The latter may be beneficial to the growth of the cells as a storage of inorganic C and/or a buffer of intracellular pH. Moreover, high Ca scavenging by cyanobacteria biomineralizing intracellular ACC, a trait shared with endolithic cyanobacteria, suggests that these cyanobacteria should be considered as potentially significant geochemical reservoirs of Ca.     

GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF STRAINS OF CYANOBACTERIA USING PCR-RFLP OF THE cpcBA INTERGENIC SPACER AND FLANKING REGIONS1

Oligonucleotide primers, specific for conserved regions of the genes encoding the β- and α-phycocyanin subunits of phycobilisomes (cpcB and cpcA) of cyanobacteria, were used to amplify a DNA fragment containing the intervening intergenic spacer region (cpcBA-IGS) of 19 strains of three morphospecies of cyanobacteria. Six Australian strains were identified as Anabaena circinalis Rabenhorst, six strains were identified as Microcystis aeruginosa Kützing, and seven strains were identified as Nodularia spumigena Mertens. Restriction enzyme digestion of the amplification products from the strains revealed restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) within all three morphospecies. Strains corresponding to M. aeruginosa were highly polymorphic: 11 of the 14 restriction enzymes used displayed RFLPs. The A. circinalis and N. spumigena strains were less variable: three of 14 enzymes and seven of 14 enzymes, respectively, showed RFLPs. The presence of genetic variation between strains within these three divergent morphospecies, which span two orders of cyanobacteria (Chroococcales Wettstein and Nostocales (Borzi) Geitler), show that the cpcBA- IGS fragment has broad application as a molecular marker for intrageneric studies of cyanobacteria systematics and genetics.     

Diversity and expression of cyanobacterial hupS genes in pure cultures and in a nitrogen-limited phototrophic biofilm

A PCR was developed for conserved regions within the cyanobacterial small subunit uptake hydrogenase (hupS) gene family. These primers were used to PCR amplify partial hupS sequences from 15 cyanobacterial strains. HupS clone libraries were constructed from PCR-amplified genomic DNA and reverse-transcribed mRNA extracted from phototrophic biofilms cultivated under nitrate-limiting conditions. Partial hupS gene sequences derived from cyanobacteria, some of which were not previously known to contain hup genes were used for phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic trees constructed with partial hupS genes were congruent with those based on 16S rRNA genes, indicating that hupS sequences can be used to identify cyanobacteria expressing hup. Sequences from heterocystous and nonheterocystous cyanobacteria formed two separate clusters. Analysis of clone library data showed a discrepancy between the presence and the activity of cyanobacterial hupS genes in phototrophic biofilms. The results showed that the hupS gene can be used to characterize the diversity of natural populations of diazotrophic cyanobacteria, and to characterize gene expression patterns of individual species and strains.     

High-resolution differentiation of Cyanobacteria by using rRNA-internal transcribed spacer denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

For many ecological studies of cyanobacteria, it is essential that closely related species or strains can be discriminated. Since this is often not possible by using morphological features, cyanobacteria are frequently studied by using DNA-based methods. A powerful method for analysis of the diversity and dynamics of microbial populations and for checking the purity and affiliation of cultivated strains is denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). We realized high-resolution discrimination of a variety of cyanobacteria by means of DGGE analysis of sections of the internal transcribed spacer between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes (rRNA-ITS). A forward primer specific for cyanobacteria, targeted at the 3' end of the 16S rRNA gene, was designed. The combination of this primer and three different reverse primers targeted to the rRNA-ITS or to the 23S rRNA gene yielded PCR products of different sizes from cultures of all 16 cyanobacterial genera that were tested but not from other bacteria. DGGE profiles produced from the shortest section of rRNA-ITS consisted of one band for all but one cyanobacterial genera, and those generated from longer stretches of rRNA-ITS yielded DGGE profiles containing one to four bands. The suitability of DGGE for detecting intrageneric and intraspecific variation was tested by using strains of the genus Microcystis: Many strains could be discriminated by means of rRNA-ITS DGGE, and the resolution of this method was strikingly higher than that obtained with previously described methods. The applicability of the developed DGGE assays for analysis of cyanobacteria in field samples was demonstrated by using samples from freshwater lakes. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of each developed primer set are discussed.     

High-Resolution Differentiation of Cyanobacteria by Using rRNA-Internal Transcribed Spacer Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

For many ecological studies of cyanobacteria, it is essential that closely related species or strains can be discriminated. Since this is often not possible by using morphological features, cyanobacteria are frequently studied by using DNA-based methods. A powerful method for analysis of the diversity and dynamics of microbial populations and for checking the purity and affiliation of cultivated strains is denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). We realized high-resolution discrimination of a variety of cyanobacteria by means of DGGE analysis of sections of the internal transcribed spacer between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes (rRNA-ITS). A forward primer specific for cyanobacteria, targeted at the 3′ end of the 16S rRNA gene, was designed. The combination of this primer and three different reverse primers targeted to the rRNA-ITS or to the 23S rRNA gene yielded PCR products of different sizes from cultures of all 16 cyanobacterial genera that were tested but not from other bacteria. DGGE profiles produced from the shortest section of rRNA-ITS consisted of one band for all but one cyanobacterial genera, and those generated from longer stretches of rRNA-ITS yielded DGGE profiles containing one to four bands. The suitability of DGGE for detecting intrageneric and intraspecific variation was tested by using strains of the genus Microcystis. Many strains could be discriminated by means of rRNA-ITS DGGE, and the resolution of this method was strikingly higher than that obtained with previously described methods. The applicability of the developed DGGE assays for analysis of cyanobacteria in field samples was demonstrated by using samples from freshwater lakes. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of each developed primer set are discussed.