Cyanobacterial diversity held in microbial biological resource centers as a biotechnological asset: the case study of the newly established LEGE culture collection

Vitor M. Vasconcelos,Vitor Ramos,Sébastien Brûle,Cristiana Moreira,Pedro N. Leão,Ângela Pinheiro,Maria Sofia Costa,Ana L. Pereira,Bárbara Frazão,Martin Saker,Joana Martins,Viviana R. Lopes,Joana Osswald,João Morais,Dina Gomes,Raquel Castelo-Branco,Ana Regueiras,Rosário Martins,Silvia Faustino

doi:10.1007/s10811-017-1369-y

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are a well-known source of bioproducts which renders culturable strains a valuable resource for biotechnology purposes. We describe here the establishment of a cyanobacterial culture collection (CC) and present the first version of the strain catalog and its online database (http://lege.ciimar.up.pt/). The LEGE CC holds 386 strains, mainly collected in coastal (48%), estuarine (11%), and fresh (34%) water bodies, for the most part from Portugal (84%). By following the most recent taxonomic classification, LEGE CC strains were classified into at least 46 genera from six orders (41% belong to the Synechococcales), several of them are unique among the phylogenetic diversity of the cyanobacteria. For all strains, primary data were obtained and secondary data were surveyed and reviewed, which can be reached through the strain sheets either in the catalog or in the online database. An overview on the notable biodiversity of LEGE CC strains is showcased, including a searchable phylogenetic tree and images for all strains. With this work, 80% of the LEGE CC strains have now their 16S rRNA gene sequences deposited in GenBank. Also, based in primary data, it is demonstrated that several LEGE CC strains are a promising source of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Through a review of previously published data, it is exposed that LEGE CC strains have the potential or actual capacity to produce a variety of biotechnologically interesting compounds, including common cyanotoxins or unprecedented bioactive molecules. Phylogenetic diversity of LEGE CC strains does not entirely reflect chemodiversity. Further bioprospecting should, therefore, account for strain specificity of the valuable cyanobacterial holdings of LEGE CC.

Highlights

IntroductionMicrobial biological resource centers (mBRCs) are qualitymanaged culture collections that ensure the ex situ preservation of microorganisms, while providing public access to their microbial diversity (i.e., to live strains or to genomic DNA from these strains), to relevant data related to it (e.g., taxonomic identification, culture conditions, ecophysiological features, etc.), and to expertise services such as training or consulting (Antunes et al 2016). mBRCs are pivotal in underpinning the bioeconomy derived from microbial resources (Smith et al 2014)
Microbial biological resource centers are qualitymanaged culture collections that ensure the ex situ preservation of microorganisms, while providing public access to their microbial diversity, to relevant data related to it, and to expertise services such as training or consulting (Antunes et al 2016). mBRCs are pivotal in underpinning the bioeconomy derived from microbial resources (Smith et al 2014)
A considerable body of research (e.g., Vasconcelos et al 1995; Martins et al 2005, 2013; Leão et al 2013b; Brito et al 2015) emphasizes that several strains deposited at the LEGE culture collection (CC) have the potential or actual capacity to produce a myriad of chemical compounds, including toxins or newly discovered bioactive molecules

Summary

Introduction

Microbial biological resource centers (mBRCs) are qualitymanaged culture collections that ensure the ex situ preservation of microorganisms, while providing public access to their microbial diversity (i.e., to live strains or to genomic DNA from these strains), to relevant data related to it (e.g., taxonomic identification, culture conditions, ecophysiological features, etc.), and to expertise services such as training or consulting (Antunes et al 2016). mBRCs are pivotal in underpinning the bioeconomy derived from microbial resources (Smith et al 2014). MBRCs are pivotal in underpinning the bioeconomy derived from microbial resources (Smith et al 2014) In this particular case, cyanobacteria have been pointed out in the past few decades as one of the most promising groups of microorganisms for the discovery of natural compounds with pharmacological and other biotechnological applications (Margesin and Schinner 2001; Abed et al 2009; Singh et al 2011; Wijffels et al 2013). The Blue Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology (BBE) group, at CIIMAR, Portugal, has recently undertaken a process of organizing its cyanobacterial strains into a culture collection (acronym LEGE) It began as an in-house collection in 1991, when a number of strains from the colonial toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa were isolated from freshwater water bodies in Portugal (Vasconcelos et al 1995). Most of the strains at BBE were kept independently by their isolators along these years, and were poorly characterized, named inconsistently or even unidentified

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