Phylogenetic, taxonomic and biogeographical studies in the Pithophoraceae (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta)

The Aegagropila-clade is a unique lineage of algae within the large order Cladophorales and consists of poorly known taxa that mainly occur in brackish and freshwater environments. The clade is sister to the species-rich, primarily marine Cladophora- and Siphonocladus-lineages. Most of its members occur in narrow niches such as on the carapaces of freshwater turtles (some members of Basicladia), on freshwater snails and bivalves (monotypic Arnoldiella and several Basicladia species), on and endophytically in saltmarsh plants and mangrove pneumatophores (some members of Wittrockiella), or on marine intertidal snails (Cladophora conchopheria). Aegagropila linnaei is the best known representative of the lineage and has gained considerable scientific, cultural and economic fame due to the peculiar lake balls formed under specific conditions. The confused taxonomy of the Aegagropila-clade was clarified using methods of molecular phylogenetic inference, resulting in the re-instatement of the Pithophoraceae, descriptions of two new genera and several nomenclatural changes. Phylogenetic analyses led to an understanding of the evolution of the heterotrichous habit as an adaptation to changeable environmental conditions. In selected taxa, topics such as phylogeography and dispersal abilities, historical biogeography and glacial refugia, and ecology and declining populations were studied in detail.Alberta-Mennega-Stichting, Leids Universitair Fonds, Phycological Society of America, Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fonds, SYNTHESYS programUBL - phd migration 201

Lignipirellula cremea gen. nov., sp. nov., a planctomycete isolated from wood particles in a brackish river estuary

A novel planctomycetal strain, designated Pla85_3_4$^{τ}$, was isolated from the surface of wood incubated at the discharge of a wastewater treatment plant in the Warnow river near Rostock, Germany. Cells of the novel strain have a cell envelope architecture resembling that of Gram-negative bacteria, are round to pear-shaped (length: 2.2 ± 0.4 μm, width: 1.2 ± 0.3 μm), form aggregates and divide by polar budding. Colonies have a cream colour. Strain Pla85_3_4$^{τ}$ grows at ranges of 10–30 °C (optimum 26 °C) and at pH 6.5–10.0 (optimum 7.5), and has a doubling time of 26 h. Phylogenetically, strain Pla85_3_4$^{τ}$ (DSM 103796$^{τ}$ = LMG 29741$^{τ}$) is concluded to represent a novel species of a novel genus within the family Pirellulaceae, for which we propose the name Lignipirellula cremea gen. nov., sp. nov

Evaluation of the Boarding School Diets of Indian Children of the Dakotas and Observations on the Growth and Development of Adolescent Indian Girls

This study, which deals with the nutrient intake of Indian boarding school children, was carried out in conjunction with a larger study in which South Dakota State University cooperated with the National Institutes of Health and the Indian Health Division of the United States Public Health Service. Objectives of the study as a whole were: (a) observe effect of a supplement of di-calcium phosphate on prevention of dental caries; (b) obtain information on nutritive value of boarding school diets; (c) obtain height and weight data for consecutive periods that might be used for developing standards for Indian children of the Dakotas; and (d) attempt to relate rate of growth and dental and periodontal findings to nutrient intake. This report as it concerns the total group of children deals only with dietary aspects of the study. But, because of a special interest of one of the investigators (M.T.B.), in the adolescent Indian girl, there is induced in addition to dietary data some information on the physical and physiological development of 12-to-14 year-old girls. Later reports, to appear elsewhere, will present observations on heights and weights and dental findings for all children studied

Analysis of bacterial communities in a municipal duck pond during a phytoplankton bloom and isolation of Anatilimnocola aggregata gen. nov., sp. nov., Lacipirellula limnantheis sp. nov. and Urbifossiella limnaea gen. nov., sp. nov. belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes

Waterbodies such as lakes and ponds are fragile environments affected by human influences. Suitable conditions can result in massive growth of phototrophs, commonly referred to as phytoplankton blooms. Such events benefit heterotrophic bacteria able to use compounds secreted by phototrophs or their biomass as major nutrient source. One example of such bacteria are Planctomycetes, which are abundant on the surfaces of marine macroscopic phototrophs; however, less data are available on their ecological roles in limnic environments. In this study, we followed a cultivation-independent deep sequencing approach to study the bacterial community composition during a cyanobacterial bloom event in a municipal duck pond. In addition to cyanobacteria, which caused the bloom event, members of the phylum Planctomycetes were significantly enriched in the cyanobacteria-attached fraction compared to the free-living fraction. Separate datasets based on isolated DNA and RNA point towards considerable differences in the abundance and activity of planctomycetal families, indicating different activity peaks of these families during the cyanobacterial bloom. Motivated by the finding that the sampling location harbours untapped bacterial diversity, we included a complementary cultivation-dependent approach and isolated and characterized three novel limnic strains belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes

Caulifigura coniformis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Planctomycetaceae isolated from a red biofilm sampled in a hydrothermal area

Pan44$^{T}$, a novel strain belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes, was isolated from a red biofilm in a hydrothermal area close to the island Panarea in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, Italy. The strain forms white colonies on solid medium and displays the following characteristics: cell division by budding, formation of rosettes, presence of matrix or fimbriae and long stalks. The cell surface has an interesting and characteristic texture made up of triangles and rectangles, which leads to a pine cone-like morphology of the strain. Strain Pan44$^{T}$ is mesophilic (temperature optimum 26 °C), slightly alkaliphilic (pH optimum 8.0), aerobic and heterotrophic. The strain has a genome size of 6.76 Mb with a G + C content of 63.2%. Phylogenetically, the strain is a member of the family Planctomycetaceae, order Planctomycetales, class Planctomycetia. Our analysis supports delineation of strain Pan44$^{T}$ from all known genera in this family, hence, we propose to assign it to a novel species within a novel genus, for which we propose the name Caulifigura coniformis gen. nov., sp. nov., represented by Pan44$^{T}$ (DSM 29405$^{T}$ = LMG 29788$^{T}$) as the type strain

Stieleria varia sp. nov., isolated from wood particles in the Baltic Sea, constitutes a novel species in the family Pirellulaceae within the phylum Planctomycetes

Species belonging to the bacterial phylum Planctomycetes are ubiquitous members of the microbial communities in aquatic environments and are frequently isolated from various biotic and abiotic surfaces in marine and limnic water bodies. Planctomycetes have large genomes of up to 12.4 Mb, follow complex lifestyles and display an uncommon cell biology; features which motivate the investigation of members of this phylum in greater detail. As a contribution to the current collection of axenic cultures of Planctomycetes, we here describe strain Pla52$^{T}$ isolated from wood particles in the Baltic Sea. Phylogenetic analysis places the strain in the family Pirellulaceae and suggests two species of the recently described genus Stieleria as current closest neighbours. Strain Pla52$^{T}$ shows typical features of members of the class Planctomycetia, including division by polar budding and the presence of crateriform structures. Colonies of strain Pla52$^{T}$ have a light orange colour, which is an unusual pigmentation compared to the majority of members in the phylum, which show either a pink to red pigmentation or entirely lack pigmentation. Optimal growth of strain Pla52$^{T}$ at 33 °C and pH 7.5 indicates a mesophilic (i.e. with optimal growth between 20 and 45 °C) and neutrophilic growth profile. The strain is an aerobic heterotroph with motile daughter cells. Its genome has a size of 9.6 Mb and a G + C content of 56.0%. Polyphasic analyses justify delineation of the strain from described species within the genus Stieleria. Therefore, we conclude that strain Pla52$^{T}$ = LMG 29463$^{T}$ = VKM B-3447$^{T}$ should be classified as the type strain of a novel species, for which we propose the name Stieleria varia sp. nov

Aureliella helgolandensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel Planctomycete isolated from a jellyfish at the shore of the island Helgoland

A novel planctomycetal strain, designated Q31a$^{τ}$, was isolated from a jellyfish at the shore of the island Helgoland in the North Sea. The strain forms lucid white colonies on solid medium and displays typical characteristics of planctomycetal strains, such as division by budding, formation of rosettes, presence of crateriform structures, extracellular matrix or fibre and a holdfast structure. Q31a$^{τ}$ is mesophilic (temperature optimum 27 °C), neutrophilic (pH optimum 7.5), aerobic and heterotrophic. A maximal growth rate of 0.017 h$^{-1}$ (generation time of 41 h) was observed. Q31a$^{τ}$ has a genome size of 8.44 Mb and a G + C content of 55.3%. Phylogenetically, the strain represents a novel genus and species in the recently introduced family Pirellulaceae, order Pirellulales, class Planctomycetia.We propose the name Aureliella helgolandensis gen. nov., sp. nov. for the novel species, represented by Q31a$^{τ}$ (= DSM 103537$^{τ}$= LMG 29700$^{τ}$) as the type strain

Updates to the recently introduced family Lacipirellulaceae in the phylum Planctomycetes: isolation of strains belonsging to the novel genera Aeoliella, Botrimarina, Pirellulimonas and Pseudobythopirellula and the novel species Bythopirellula polymerisocia and Posidoniimonas corsicana

Eight novel strains of the phylum Planctomycetes were isolated from different aquatic habitats. Among these habitats were the hydrothermal vent system close to Panarea Island, a public beach at Mallorca Island, the shore of Costa Brava (Spain), and three sites with brackish water in the Baltic Sea. The genome sizes of the novel strains range from 4.33 to 6.29 Mb with DNA G+C contents between 52.8 and 66.7%. All strains are mesophilic (Topt 24–30 °C) and display generation times between 17 and 94 h. All eight isolates constitute novel species of either already described or novel genera within the family Lacipirellulaceae. Two of the novel species, Posidoniimonas polymericola (type strain Pla123a$^{T}$ = DSM 103020$^{T}$ = LMG 29466$^{T}$) and Bythopirellula polymerisocia (type strain Pla144$^{T}$ = DSM 104841$^{T}$ = VKM B-3442$^{T}$), belong to established genera, while the other strains represent the novel genera Aeoliella gen. nov., Botrimarina gen. nov., Pirellulimonas gen. nov. and Pseudobythopirellula gen. nov. Based on our polyphasic analysis, we propose the species Aeoliella mucimassa sp. nov. (type strain Pan181$^{T}$ = DSM 29370$^{T}$ = LMG 31346$^{T}$ = CECT 9840$^{T}$ = VKM B-3426$^{T}$), Botrimarina colliarenosi sp. nov. (type strain Pla108$^{T}$ = DSM 103355$^{T}$ = LMG 29803$^{T}$), Botrimarina hoheduenensis sp. nov. (type strain Pla111$^{T}$ = DSM 103485$^{T}$ = STH00945$^{T}$, Jena Microbial Resource Collection JMRC), Botrimarina mediterranea sp. nov. (type strain Spa11$^{T}$ = DSM 100745$^{T}$ = LMG 31350$^{T}$ = CECT 9852$^{T}$ = VKM B-3431$^{T}$), Pirellulimonas nuda sp. nov. (type strain Pla175$^{T}$ = DSM 109594$^{T}$ = CECT 9871$^{T}$ = VKM B-3448$^{T}$) and Pseudobythopirellula maris sp. nov. (type strain Mal64$^{T}$ = DSM 100832$^{T}$ = LMG 29020$^{T}$)

Additions to the genus Gimesia: description of Gimesia alba sp. nov., Gimesia algae sp. nov., Gimesia aquarii sp. nov., Gimesia aquatilis sp. nov., Gimesia fumaroli sp. nov. and Gimesia panareensis sp. nov., isolated from aquatic habitats of the Northern Hemisphere

Thirteen novel planctomycetal strains were isolated from five different aquatic sampling locations. These comprise the hydrothermal vent system close to Panarea Island (Italy), a biofilm on the surface of kelp at Monterey Bay (CA, USA), sediment and algae on Mallorca Island (Spain) and Helgoland Island (Germany), as well as a seawater aquarium in Braunschweig, Germany. All strains were shown to belong to the genus Gimesia. Their genomes cover a size range from 7.22 to 8.29 Mb and have a G+C content between 45.1 and 53.7%. All strains are mesophilic (Topt 26-33 °C) with generation times between 12 and 32 h. Analysis of fatty acids yielded palmitic acid (16:0) and a fatty acid with the equivalent chain length of 15.817 as major compounds. While five of the novel strains belong to the already described species Gimesia maris and Gimesia chilikensis, the other strains belong to novel species, for which we propose the names Gimesia alba (type strain Pan241wT = DSM 100744T = LMG 31345T = CECT 9841T = VKM B-3430T), Gimesia algae (type strain Pan161T = CECT 30192T = STH00943T = LMG 29130T), Gimesia aquarii (type strain V144T = DSM 101710T = VKM B-3433T), Gimesia fumaroli (type strain Enr17T = DSM 100710T = VKM B-3429T) and Gimesia panareensis (type strain Enr10T = DSM 100416T = LMG 29082T). STH numbers refer to the Jena Microbial Resource Collection (JMRC)