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Issue: Vol. 708 No. 2: 4 Jul. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-07-04
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.708.2.5
Page range: 182-196
Abstract views: 379
PDF downloaded: 16

Description of Vacuolonema iberomarrocanum gen. et sp. nov. (Oculatellales, Cyanobacteria): a new marine cyanobacterial taxon from the Portuguese and Moroccan Atlantic coast

CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4069-007 Porto, Portugal
CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
Phycology, Blue Biodiversity and Biotechnology RU, URL CNRST 10 – Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Ecology and Ecosystem Valorization, Faculty of Sciences, University Chouaib Doukkali, PO Box 20, 24000 El Jadida, Morocco
CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4069-007 Porto, Portugal
16S rRNA gene cyanobacteria new genus polyphasic approach taxonomy Algae

Abstract

Cyanobacteria biodiversity remains underexplored despite their ecological importance and potential applications. To address this, we investigated two Leptolyngbya-like strains, LEGE 07170 and LEGE 191244, collected from marine tide pools in Portugal and Morocco using polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analyses indicates that the strains form a distinct clade with strong statistical support in the Oculatellales order. The 16S rRNA gene identity matrix shows that the maximum shared values with the phylogenetically closest genera Gansulinema, Kaiparowitsia, Shahulinema, Aerofilum and Thermoleptolyngbya is consistently below 94.5%. Morphologically, LEGE 07170 and LEGE 191244 are indistinguishable to each other. Both optical and TEM analyses showed vacuole-like structures at the cells cross-walls and this character morphologically distinguishes these strains from their phylogenetically related genera. The 16S–23S ITS secondary structures also differed the LEGE-CC strains from their closest related genera.

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How to Cite

Morais, J., Hentschke, G.S., Oliveira, F., Silva, R., Leão, P.N., Sabour, B. & Vasconcelos, V. (2025) Description of Vacuolonema iberomarrocanum gen. et sp. nov. (Oculatellales, Cyanobacteria): a new marine cyanobacterial taxon from the Portuguese and Moroccan Atlantic coast. Phytotaxa 708 (2): 182–196. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.708.2.5