Cyanobacteria is an ancient phylum of oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms found in almost all environments of Earth. In recent years, the taxonomic placement of some cyanobacterial strains, including those belonging to the genus Nostocsensu lato, have been reevaluated by means of a polyphasic approach. Thus, 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) secondary structures coupled with morphological, ecological and physiological data are considered powerful tools for a better taxonomic and systematics resolution, leading to the description of novel genera and species. Additionally, underexplored and harsh environments, such as saline-alkaline lakes, have received special attention given they can be a source of novel cyanobacterial taxa. Here, a filamentous heterocytous strain, Nostocaceae CCM-UFV059, isolated from Laguna Amarga, Chile, was characterized applying the polyphasic approach; its fatty acid profile and physiological responses to salt (NaCl) were also determined. Morphologically, this strain was related to morphotypes of the Nostocsensu lato group, being phylogenetically placed into the typical cluster of the genus Desmonostoc. CCM-UFV059 showed identity of the 16S rRNA gene as well as 16S-23S secondary structures that did not match those from known described species of the genus Desmonostoc, as well as distinct ecological and physiological traits. Taken together, these data allowed the description of the first strain of a member of the genus Desmonostoc from a saline-alkaline lake, named Desmonostoc salinum sp. nov., under the provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants. This finding extends the ecological coverage of the genus Desmonostoc, contributing to a better understanding of cyanobacterial diversity and systematics.
The phytoremediation technique, which consists of using plants to remove ions, has been increasingly chosen over past decades due to its low-cost technology to mitigate contaminated areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the aquatic macrophytes, Azolla caroliniana Willd, Salvinia minima Baker and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden, to accumulate manganese (Mn), an element which, at high concentrations, may be toxic to human populations. The three species accumulated Mn in their tissues and the absorption was independent of the metal concentration in the solution. Spirodela polyrhiza accumulated Mn at higher concentrations of the ion (17.062 mg g-1 MS), followed by S. minima (4.283 mg g-1 MS) and A. caroliniana (1.341 mg g-1 MS). Manganese excess reduced total chlorophyll content in all three species. Carotenoid content was reduced in A. caroliniana (27.02 %) and S. polyrhiza (25.34 %). Growth was only significantly reduced (21.34%) in S. polyrhiza. The species A. caroliniana and S. minima were able to tolerate excess Mn, but were inefficient regarding the accumulation of high concentrations of the metal. High accumulated Mn content in the tissues of S. polyrhiza suggests that the species is able to accumulate this element. Therefore, it has potential for use in phytoremediation and provides a new resource for exploring the Mn accumulation mechanism.
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