BCCM/ULC: a source of cyanobacterial diversity for taxonomic, genomic and applied research

The BCCM/ULC public collection (https://bccm.belspo.be/about-us/bccm-ulc) aims to gather a representative portion of terrestrial, freshwater and marine cyanobacterial strains from different ecosystems with a focus on the polar diversity. The collection’s goals are to preserve the deposited biological material, to provide it to interested parties for fundamental and applied research, to valorize it by performing research, and to provide services linked to the identification of the Cyanobacteria for the scientific community. An ISO 9001 certification was obtained for the public deposit and distribution of strains, as part of the multi-site certification for the BCCM consortium. Several strains are the reference (or ‘type’) for newly described taxa. They include Plectolyngbya hodgsonii ULC009, Shackletoniella antarctica ULC037, Timaviella circinata ULC401, Parakomarekiella sesnandensis ULC0591, Petrachloros mirabilis ULC683, Johannesbaptistia floridana ULC591, Brasilonema fioreae ULC548, B. santannae ULC544, Leptochromothrix valpauliae ULC597, Vermifilum ionodolium ULC454, Neolyngbya biscaynensis ULC530, and Affixifilum floridanum ULC525.
Beyond to the taxonomic purposes, whole genomes of ULC strains have been sequenced. For example, for the FRIA project BI-HABITAT, genomes were sequenced and have been assembled, covering Antarctic cyanobacterial strains of different morphotypes: Nostoc spp. ULC180 (coverage: 94.11 %, assembly: ~6.3 Mb), ULC008 (coverage: 98.11 %, assembly: ~6.1 Mb), and ULC046 (coverage: 85.5 %, assembly: 6.2 Mb), as well as Phormidium autumnale (Microcoleus favosus) ULC128 (coverage: 99.71 %, assembly: ~7.1 Mb). Given their origin from harsh environments (polar conditions), the discovery of genes related to particular adaptations as well as novel molecules may be expected. Accordingly, methanolic extracts obtained from Phormidesmis priestleyi ULC0026 (sister to ULC007 for which the genome was already published), isolated from an Antarctic lake, showed bioactivity against the fungus Cercospora sp., an important causal agent of plant diseases.
Supported by Belgian Science Policy Office and FNRS