Mc. Margheri et al., Assessment of the genetic diversity of halotolerant coccoid cyanobacteria using amplified 16S rDNA restriction analysis, FEMS MICROB, 173(1), 1999, pp. 9-16
Genetic diversity of 12 strains of coccoid cyanobacteria of different hyper
saline origins has been studied by amplified 16S rDNA restriction analysis
and compared with morphological characters. Cluster analysis was performed
on amplified 16S rDNA restriction analysis profiles of those strains along
with profiles obtained from sequence data of unicellular halotolerant cyano
bacteria belonging to the recently described Halothece cluster. By using th
is approach, all new strains could be assigned to the Halothece cluster, co
nfirming that unicellular extremely halotolerant cyanobacteria form a monop
hyletic group among cyanobacteria. New branches inside the Halothece cluste
r were found and groups of very tightly related strains resulted. (C) 1999
Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Sci
ence B.V. All rights reserved.