Identificación y caracterización molecular de cianobacterias tropicales de los géneros Nostoc, Calothrix, Tolypothrix y Scytonema (Nostocales: Nostocaceae), con posible potencial biotecnológico

Abstract

Identification and molecular characterization of tropical cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc, Calothrix, Tolypothrix and Scytonema (Nostocales: Nostocaceae), with possible biotechnological potential. Cyanobacteria or "Blue-Green" algae comprise a diverse cluster of prokaryotic photoautotrophs that share a high morphological and molecular abundance. Biotechnological advances on nitrogen fixation, bioremediation, pharmaceutical and nutritional value have been developed. Traditional identification based on morphology has been the most common applied technique, but it may be inaccurate because of the phenotypic plasticity that those organisms present. For this reason, molecular techniques had become robust tools for taxonomic positioning of tropical cyanobacterial isolates, associated with morphology identification. This study focuses on the morphological identification and molecular characterization of cyanobacteria isolated in different tropical environments of Costa Rica, for biotechnological prospects. Strains were grown in BG 0 -11 media, photographed under light microscope and classified at genera level. Molecular identification was carried by PCR and sequencing using DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (rpoC1) and small-subunit ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gen primers. Subsequently, a phylogenetic positioning analysis was performed by MAFFTv.7 alignment and maximum likelihood by raxMLGUI. Based on phenotypic characteristics, four genera of Nostocales were identified: Calothrix sp., Tolypothrix sp., Scytonema sp. and Nostoc sp. Molecular analysis shows a taxonomic grouping that is consistent with the observed morphology, with the 16S rDNA gene yielding robust and stable results. The identified genera are known for their nitrogen fixation capability: Nostoc and Calothrix have been used in maintaining fertility and soil recovering studies. Nostoc is known for its nutritional properties and biofuel production; a characteristic shared by Tolypothrix as well. The last genera; Scytonema, it is known for its pharmacological properties. With the successful identification of cyanobacteria strains isolated from tropical environments, it is possible to continue the study of genes responsible for properties of biotechnological interest and to evaluate their potential, with future perspectives of application and biodiversity conservation.Key words: Cyanobacteria, 16S rRNA, rpoC1, characterization molecular, morphological identification, biotechnological potential. RESUMEN:Las cianobacterias son procariotas fotoautótrofos, morfoló-gica y molecularmente diversas, en las cuales se han reportado avances biotecnológicos sobre fijación de nitrógeno, biorremediación y valor nutricional-farmacéutico. La identificación tradicional de cianobacterias basada en morfología puede ser imprecisa, por lo que las técnicas moleculares son una herramienta robusta para el posicionamiento taxonómico de estas cepas tropicales. Este estudio se enfoca en la identificación morfológica y caracterización molecular de cianobacterias de ambientes tropica...

A Framework to Incorporate Biological Soil Quality Indicators into Assessing the Sustainability of Territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon

“…Cases such as Pseudomonas can be pathogenic [10,25]. There are cyanobacteria (photosynthesizers and autotrophs) [26]; Actinobacteria are colonies similar to fungal mycelia, like Actinomycetes that degrade OM to form humus and participate in the mineralization process, others can fix N or regulate the composition of the microbial community in the soil. They secrete enzymes that serve for the biological control of nematodes, insects, and other soil organisms.…”

“…The actinomycetes in tropical soils are one of the most important bacterial groups [2], as indicated by a recent review of soil bacteria worldwide [59]. Their systematic classification is based on molecular techniques (16S rRNA sequencing) of soil microorganisms [26,59]. OM is considered an important indicator of soil quality and productivity [30], because it influences a wide range of soil properties.…”

¿Conoces a las cianobacterias Nostoc?

“…Para caracterizar molecularmente a Nostoc existen dos formas de muestreo: una es acudir al lugar donde crece y recolectarla para extraer su ADN y la otra es recogerla, cultivarla en laboratorio en medios estériles y cuando tenga cepas puras, recoger pequeñas muestras para extraerle su ADN (Corrales Morales et al 2017). Nostoc se encuentra en el ambiente en interacción con otras especies (Figura 2) y tiene una importancia ambiental, social y económica debido a su capacidad para acumular nitrógeno y ser fuente de compuestos de interés biotecnológico y alimentario (Ponce 2014) El objetivo de este trabajo es describir las maneras de identificar Nostoc, sus características morfológicas e importancia económica.…”