Unexpected High Diversity of Terrestrial Cyanobacteria from the Campus of the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.

Xuan Nguyen,Shoichiro Suda,Shinpei Sumimoto

doi:10.3390/microorganisms5040069

Xuan Nguyen, Shoichiro Suda + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms5040069

Copy DOI

Journal: Microorganisms	Publication Date: Nov 7, 2017
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of the Ryukyus, Keio University

Abstract

Terrestrial cyanobacterial strains were isolated from the Nishihara campus of the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. The 13 sampling sites were distributed in a 200 m radius and appeared as dry, blackened stains. From these small areas, 143 cyanobacterial strains were established. The strains were divided into five morphotypes, including unicells, unicells with baeocytes, non-branching filaments, false-branching filaments, and heterocystous strains. From the strains, 105 partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained and could be classified into 30 generic types. Among them, 22 unique strains and over 1100 bps of data were selected for further phylogenetic analyses. These sequences were positioned into six main clades corresponding to cyanobacterial orders: Nostocales, Chroococidiopsidales, Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, Pleurocapsales, and Synechococcales. Almost all sequences had no identical matching data in GenBank and many of them had no closely related data. These data suggest that the terrestrial cyanobacteria are very divese even within close sampling areas, such as within the campus of the University of the Ryukyus. The established strains are not only important for classification of terrestrial cyanobacteria but also for possible application studies in the future.

Highlights

Many traditional and even modern buildings are made with white limestone, mortar, and concrete, and such buildings often have black stains, in tropical and subtropical countries
These black stains are sometimes positively considered as atmospheric of past eras for historical monuments, but these stains are usually dealt with as nuisances. These black stains are caused by terrestrial cyanobacterial growth, and many floral studies of such terrestrial cyanobacteria have been reported from many ecosystems in European temperate and Mediterranean regions [1,2,3], India [4,5,6,7], the Middle East [8], Australia [9], China [10], North America [11], Middle and South America including Mexico and Brazil [12,13], the Hawaiian Islands [14], and even from locations with extreme conditions such as Antarctica [15], Arctic Greenland [16], the Alps [17], and Africa [18]
In Japan, terrestrial cyanobacterial studies have been limited; while, globally, 102 species of cyanobacteria have been reported from surfaces of wet soil, rocks, or tree trunks, and 19 species from terrestrial or aerial habitats, in Japan, only Scytonema ocellatum has been reported from dry soil ([23], in Japanese)

Summary

Introduction

Many traditional and even modern buildings are made with white limestone, mortar, and concrete, and such buildings often have black stains, in tropical and subtropical countries These black stains are sometimes positively considered as atmospheric of past eras for historical monuments, but these stains are usually dealt with as nuisances. Scientific reports on cyanobacteria in urban areas have appeared in the past few decades Such black stains have shown to lower values of real estate in Taiwan [19]. Another report indicates that terrestrial cyanobacteria communities are composed mainly of Hassallia byssoidea ([24], in Japanese)

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion