Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2017, v. 4, No. 7, p. 89-101. ISSN 2358-2731 https://dx.doi.org/10.21472/bjbs.0407010 Taxonomy and biodiversity of the genus Oscillatoria Vauch. ex Gom. (Cyanoprokaryota: Oscillatoriales) with ecological notes from Hooghly in West Bengal, India Nilu Halder Department of Botany, Raja Peary Mohan College, Uttarpara-712258, Hooghly, West Bengal, India. Email: [email protected]. Abstract. Research articles in the reference list regarding investigation or exploration of Oscillatoriales exhibited that Received taxonomic study of freshwater blue-green algae has been a subject December 03, 2016 of interest of research workers and professional scientists for more than one century in India. Oscillatoria Vauch. ex Gom. Accepted (Cyanoprokaryota: Oscillatoriales) is a dominant and ubiquitous June 24, 2017 blue-green alga in Hooghly District of West Bengal, India. Its thallus is consists of unsheathed trichome and contains more than Released 20 cells in a trichome. The recent study was dealt with the June 30, 2017 taxonomic enumeration of five species of the genus (O. princeps, Open Acess O. curviceps, O. sancta, O. limosa, and O. jenensis) which were Full Text Article collected from different freshwater aquatic ecosystems of this district and they were described with ecological data, geographical distributions and colored microphotographs. Here, the relationships between the water chemistry and their occurrences had been also discussed. The analysis of important physico-chemical properties of water revealed that species of Oscillatoria prefer to grow in those water bodies prevailing alkaline pH, sufficient to meet the essential nutrients and contain hard and polluted water. Taxonomy; Oscillatoria; West Bengal; India. Keywords: ORCID 0000-0002-9689-3952 Nilu Halder Introduction sufficient for abundant growth, reproduction and to complete their life Indeed, blue-green algae cycles (Kasthuri et al., 2016). They are (Cyanoprokaryota) are one of the most considered the first organism to release successful and primitive microbes or plant elemental oxygen (O2) into the primitive groups in our planet since the origin of life. atmosphere (Gupta et al., 2006) and They resemble with eukaryotic algae as primary colonizer in bare areas of rock and well as prokaryotic bacteria because they soil (Issa et al., 2014). Ultraviolet ray share some common features of both the absorbing sheath and a combination of groups and included in the Kingdom green and unique blue pigments, probably Monera by Whittaker (1969). Blue-green increase their fitness in the exposed land algae are basically aerobic photoautotrophs, environment (Mur et al., 1999). The although they may be able to live morphological simplicity and occurrence of anaerobically. Only warm temperature, polymorphisms (variations) in nature water, CO2, inorganic substances like sometimes make this plant group difficulty nitrogen and phosphorus and sunlight are (Roger and Reddy, 1984) for identifications ISSN 2358-2731/BJBS-2016-0074/4/7/10/89 Braz. J. Biol. Sci. http://revista.rebibio.net 90 Halder under light microscopy. They show end cells rounded, hemispherical, variations in thallus organizations sometimes capitate or with narrow (unicellular, colonial to filamentous) and calyptras, vii) vegetative reproduction measurement of vegetative as well as occurs by means of cell division that is reproductive structures due to response of perpendicular to the long axis of a trichome changes in environmental conditions. They or formation of hormogonia or trichome can thrive or adapt in adverse climatic disintegration, e viii) heterocyst is lacking conditions of any ecological ecosystems, in trichomes (Komárek and Anagnostidis, being photosynthetic prokaryotes (Seal et 2005). al., 2015; Halder, 2016a) and possessing Seasonal variations of water simple thallus structures. Oscillatoria properties (Halder, 2016b) and tropical Vauch. ex Gom. is a very common and climatic/environmental conditions (Halder dominant blue-green algal genus of and Sinha, 2013a,b; Halder, 2015a) play Cyanophyceae and it has been found to important roles in the distribution of occur in almost all the types of freshwater cyanobacterial algae in natural water habitats like ponds, moats, irrigation bodies. Few ecological parameters like channels, water logged rice fields, lakes, temperature, light intensity and dissolved rivers, canals or in any polluted water solids have a great impact on growth stage bodies of urban areas throughout the world. and occurrence of blue-green algae It is a highly pollution tolerant blue-green (Kullberg, 1977). Maximum growth is alga (Patrick, 1965). Occasionally, they are attained by most blue-green algae in noticed on water surface as dark blue or summer i.e. at higher temperature in black algal mass/scum and their colonies comparison to green algae and diatoms may buoyant as containing of air bubbles. (Robarts and Zohary, 1987; Mur et al., Therefore, they can blow by gentle wind 1999). A low ratio between nitrogen and from one place to another in aquatic bodies. phosphorus compounds in water may favor Globally, there are 304 species of this the development of this algal group (Smith, genus which are taxonomically accepted in 1983; Harris et al., 2016). algae database (Guiry and Guiry, 2016) and The alga has a considerable till date ca. 128 species of this genus have importance to human beings. Ecologically, been reported from different places of India it plays crucial role in the treatment of (Tiwari et al., 2007). The species of sewage effluents, bioremediations and Oscillatoria grow in monsoon. In winter, nutrient recycling. Besides these, the alga they are mostly observed in water channels, also showed in vitro antimicrobial sewage water while in summer their (Prabakaran, 2011) and antibacterial effects distribution observed only in perennial against the pathogenic microbes (Abd El- drains and few water reservoirs (Kesarwani Aty et al., 2014) due to having et al., 2015). The genus is characterized by antimicrobial substances like terpenes, these common features, i) thallus is phenols and phenolic compounds in their predominantly blue-green or may be cells like other algae (Halder and Sinha, blackish, grayish, olive-green; consists of 2014a; Sinha et al., 2015; Halder, 2015b). trichome and sometimes forms macroscopic Thus, it may be utilized as a promising mat, rarely solitary or in small groups, ii) source to manufacture antibacterial drugs in trichomes flat, simple, uniseriate, usually pharmaceutical industry in future. It should fine, straight or slightly waved, cylindrical be mentioned that recently, different and show gliding motion under light, iii) species of Cyanobacteria have been using constricted or not constricted at cross walls, for extraction of cyanobacterial restriction attenuated or not attenuated to the ends, iv) endonucleases that generally recognize sheath absent or thin, colorless only in palindromic sequences in DNA, cleave suboptimal (extreme) conditions, v) cells within or near their recognition sequences always shorter than wide, without aerotopes and produce DNA-fragments of different but with fine granulation (sometimes lengths. Among them, AvaI is well known prominent at the cross walls), vi) apical or restriction enzyme from Anabeaena Braz. J. Biol. Sci., 2017, v. 4, No. 7, p. 89-101. Taxonomy and biodiversity of the genus Oscillatoria 91 variabilis. Saravanan et al. (2003) purified been already provided earlier in few (through column chromatography) and research articles (Halder and Sinha, 2014b; characterized a new type II restriction Sinha and Halder, 2014; Halder, 2015c). endonuclease, OfoI from a nonheterocystous cyanobacterium Microscopy Oscillatoria foreaui and the recognition Microscopic study of the five sequence has been detected with the help of species of Oscillatoria Vauch. ex Gom. was primer extension analysis. This enzyme made by examining them under Olympus recognizes and cleaves the palindromic microscope (Model-CH20i). Microphoto- hexanucleotide sequence 5’-C↓YCGRG-3’ graphs were taken using Canon Power Shot in DNA and producing 5’-protruding ends A480 camera. The samples were preserved of defined sizes. in 4% formalin and the voucher specimens There are many detailed taxonomic were deposited in the Departmental floristic reports and information on the Herbarium of R. P. M. College, Uttarpara, genus from India including those of Kamat Hooghly, West Bengal. (1963), Anand (1989), Tiwari (1975), Mahajan and Patel (1989), Kumawat and Identification Jawale (2006), Adhikary (2007), Goyal et This was done with the aid of al. (2008), Deka and Sarma (2011), relevant monographs, manuals and recent Kesarwani et al. (2015) and many other literatures (Gomont, 1892; Geitler, 1932; published scientific papers. Abroad India, Desikachary, 1959; Prescott, 1962; Prasad the commendable algological work of and Srivastava, 1992; Gupta, 2005; Jain, Komarek and Anagnostidis (2005) and 2015; Kesarwani et al., 2015). McGregor (2007) may be mentionable regarding on the Order Oscillatoriales. Water analysis Some previous workers who contributed on The temperature (°C) and pH of the the taxonomy of the genus from this state freshwater were recorded at the sites with (West Bengal) may be cited Martens the help of mercury thermometers and (1871), Prain (1905), Biswas (1926, 1932), portable pH meter. The other limnological Pal and Santra (1985, 1987), Santra et al. parameters such as nitrate-nitrogen 3- (1988), Sen and Gupta (1987, 1998),