IJCRR

IJCRR - 9(13), July, 2017

Pages: 66-68

Date of Publication: 03-Jul-2017

A Study on Occurrence of Two Rarest Coccoidal Cyanobacteria from India

Author: Sudip Chatterjee

Category: Healthcare

Abstract:Two species of one of the rare form of Cyanobacteria viz. Chlorogloeafritschii and Chlorogloeamicrocystoides was reported. The report is very significant from the point of impact that these two species being reported for the first time from this part of the world and they were obtained from very unusual condition of occurrence. This investigation is an addition to the existing knowledge about the occurrence and diversity of cyanobacteria in the said region.

Keywords: First report, Rarest Cyanobacteria, Chlogloea, Isolated and established, West Bengal, India

Full Text:

INTRODUCTION
The occurrence of two rare forms of coccoid cyanobacteria from this part of India is certainly an important addition to the existing knowledge about the available cyanobacterial diversity of the region. The cyanobacterial diversity has long been thought to be restricted within very few genera. The concept of eutrophication is also emerging as the region is heavily industrialized and only one or two types of species are abundantly obtained in almost every part of the concerned district. The reported alga belongs to the Chroococcales order which is believed to be one of the oldest and diversified forms surviving on earth. The Present taxon is represented by only 19 spp. Worldwide (Komárek (1992). The finding is very interesting to the author in the context of it's general occurrence is restricted to the saline habitats and sometime as lithophytes (particularly endo-lithophytes). In this present investigation the habitat is certainly different from that of usual occurrence.

MATERIALS AND  METHODS
The specimens were collected from different locations of the Burdwan district from soil samples. Some materials were cultivated in culture and others were preserved in 5% formalin. For culture the specimens were inoculated in slants using medium [Modified BG-11 without N2 -source (Stanier et al. 1971)] solidified by using 3% agar. The pH of the medium was recorded 7.5, without using any buffer solution. The slants were then kept in the aseptic cultural condition for obtaining optimum growth, under the illumination of two standard PHILIPS tube lights (IS-2418) of 40-Watt capacity for 8 hrs: 4 hrs in normal shady condition: 12 hrs of dark intervals. Temperature was maintained 270 C throughout. The growth was observed under light microscope (Olympus GB model) after a regular interval of two weeks for the complete understanding of its life cycle pattern. Camera Lucida drawings were made from both nature and cultured specimens. Microphotography was done using Zeiss Microscope.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

I. CHLOROGLOEA Wille 1900
[Wille, N. (1900) - AlgologischeNotizen I-VI. Nyt.Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne 38(1): 1- 27; Geitler, L. 1932 -Cyanophyceae. In: Rabenhorst, L. (ed.) Kryptogamenflora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. 14, p.306; Desikachary, T.V. 1959 - Cyanophyta. p.162; Starmach, K. 1966 -Cyanophyta - sinice [Cyanophyta - blue-green algae]. Flora slodkow.Polski 2. p.155; Castenholz, R.W., Ripka, R. and Herdman, M. 2001 - In: Boone, D.R. and Castenholz, R.W. (ed.), Bergey’s Manualof Systematic Bacteriology.2nd ed., p.592; Komàrek, J. 2003 - 3. Coccoid and Colonial Cyanobacteria.In: Wehr, J.D. and Sheath, R.G. (ed.) Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification. p.96; Komàrek, J. and Hauer, T. 2004: CyanoDB.cz - an On- line database of cyanobacterial genera. - Guiry, M.D. and Guiry, G.M. 2017. AlgaeBase.World - wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org;]

Description:
Many spherical or ellipsoidal or polygonal cells loosely arranged to form a gelatinous mass. Sheath if present, very thin and watery. Cells are yellowish- green to dark blue - green in colour with granular or homogenous content.

Taxonomic Position: Cyanophyceae, Chroococcales, Entophysalidaceae.

Key to the species:

1. Average diameter of individual cell is 1.68 μm…………………..(2) C.microcystoides

1. Average diameter of individual cell is 6 μm……………………..............(1) C.fritschii

1. Chlorogloeafritschii Mitra

[Desikachary 1959, p.163, Pl. - 31, fig. - 1 - 16]

Gelatinous, dull green thallus made up of many loosely arranged cells. Cells spherical to hemispherical in outline, margin of the cells are wavy, cells yellowish-green in colour with granular content, 3 μm - 5 μm in diameter. Some cells are 1.4 μm - 1.8 μm in diameter. Habitat - The sample was obtained as thin green film on the surface of water in a pond at Golapbag area [Sample No. SC - 02 (pH 7 and Temperature 31o C) dated 26/10/2002]; from Police line in a sewage canal near the market as isolated algal

Taxonomic note: This taxon is presently considered as Chlorogloeopsisfritschii (A.K. Mitra) A.K. Mitra and D.C. Pandey 1967(Guiry and Guiry 2012).mass [Sample No. SC - 10 (pH 6.5 and Temperature 23o C) dated 28/11/2002] and from a sewage canal in almost similar state in Baburbag [Sample No. SC - 45 (pH 6.5 and Temperature 20o C) dated 12/12/2002]. Earlier reports from India: Allahabad (Mitra 1950, 1951); Cochin (Joseph and Sarma 2004). Taxonomic note: This taxon is presently considered as Chlorogloeopsisfritschii (A.K. Mitra) A.K. Mitra and D.C. Pandey 1967(Guiry and Guiry 2012).

2. Chlorogloeamicrocystoides Geitler 1925

[Geitler 1932, p.310, fig. - 155; Desikachary 1959, p.163, Pl. - 19, fig. - 8; Starmach 1966, p.155, fig. - 191; Whitton 2001, In John et al (ed.), p.39]

Very small colonies of blue-green colour with watery sheath, cells irregularly arranged within the colony. Cells ellipsoidal to polygonal in outline. Cells 1.58 μm -1.70 μm broad and 3.2 μm – 3.6 μm long, blue-green in colour. Habitat - Sample obtained from the undersurface of an irrigation canal as algal lump of at Gangpur [Sample No. SC - 62 (pH 7.5 and Temperature 20o C) dated 12/12/2002]. Earlier reports from India: Assam (Biswas 1936); Tuwa (Thomas and Gonzalves 1965d).

DISCUSSION
As evident from the above mentioned result part both the genera are very first report of it's kind from the said region. The earlier reports are from different parts of India and also dated very long back. Thus workers, concerned with the diversity study of cyanobacteria will be immensely enriched with the obtained result. The knowledge about occurrence and diversity of the said group, in the said region is very limited till date. The present investigation thus will thus be first of its kind for the concerned region.

CONCLUSION
The obtained result and literature review by the author suggested that the place of investigation is environmentally very much conducive for the luxuriant growth of cyanobacteria. The chance of many rarest taxa occurring in the said region is very high. The author thus encouraged to explore the region further critically to unearth other taxa of the said group for contributing to the existing knowledge for the said group from the said region.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks are due to Dr. J.P. Keshri of Phycology section, Department of Botany, The University of Burdwan for constant support during the investigation and providing all kinds of research facilities to the author. The constant encouragement of Principal, Syamsundar College and all other associated staff and colleagues of the said college are duly acknowledged.The author acknowledges the immense help received from the scholars whose articles are cited and included in references of this manuscript. The authors are also grateful to authors/ editors/publishers of all those articles, journals and books from where the literature for this article has been reviewed and discussed.

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