DIVERSITY AND HOST SPECIFICITY OF AZOLLA CYANOBIONTS

[en] A unique, hereditary symbiosis exists between the water fern Azolla and cyanobacteria that reside within a cavity in the dorsal leaf-lobe of the plant. This association has been studied extensively, and questions have frequently been raised regarding the number and diversity of cyanobionts (cyanobacterial symbionts) among the different Azolla strains and species. In this work, denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and a clone library based on the 16S rRNA gene were used to study the genetic diversity and host specificity of the cyanobionts in 35 Azolla strains covering a wide taxonomic and geographic range. DNA was extracted directly from the cyanobacterial packets, isolated after enzymatic digestion of the Azolla leaves. Our results indicated the existence of different cyanobiont strains among Azolla species, and diversity within a single Azolla species, independent of the geographic origin of the host. Furthermore, the cyanobiont exhibited host-species specificity and showed most divergence between the two sections of genus Azolla, Azolla and Rhizosperma. These findings are in agreement with the recent redefinition of the taxon Azolla cristata within the section Azolla. With regard to the taxonomic status of the cyanobiont, the genus Anabaena of the Nostocaceae family was identified as the closest relative by this work.

Disciplines :

Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...)
Microbiology

Author, co-author :

Papaefthimiou, Dimitra

Van Hove, Charles

Lejeune, André

Rasmussen, Ulla

Wilmotte, Annick ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la vie > Enzymologie

Language :

English

Title :

DIVERSITY AND HOST SPECIFICITY OF AZOLLA CYANOBIONTS

Publication date :

2008

Journal title :

Journal of Phycology

ISSN :

0022-3646

eISSN :

1529-8817

Publisher :

Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom

Volume :

Pages :

60-70

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Name of the research project :

ESF Programme CYANOFIX

Funders :

ESF - European Science Foundation

Available on ORBi :

since 23 July 2009

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