Estimating genetic structure and diversity of cyanobacterial communities in Atlantic forest phyllosphere

Cyanobacterial communities on the phyllosphere of four plant species inhabiting the endangered Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome was evaluated using cultivation-independent molecular approaches. Total genomic DNA was extracted from cells detached from leaves surface of Euterpe edulis, Guapira opposita, Garcinia gardneriana and Merostachys neesii sampled in two Brazilian Atlantic Forest locations along an elevational gradient, i.e., lowland and montane forest. The DNA fingerprinting method PCR-DGGE revealed that the cyanobacterial phyllosphere community structures were mainly influenced by the plant species, with a low effect of the geographical location of the plant. The 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained by clone libraries showed a predominance of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria of the order Nostocales, even though the majority of retrieved OTUs (~60% of the sequences) showed similarity only to uncultured cyanobacteria phylotypes. The leaf surfaces of Guapira opposita had the highest richness and diversity of cyanobacteria, whereas the M. neesii (bamboo) had the largest number of copies of cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene per cm2 of leaf. This study investigated cyanobacteria diversity and its distribution pattern in Atlantic forest phyllosphere. The results indicated that plant species is the main driver of cyanobacteria community assemblage in the phyllosphere, and that these communities are comprised by a high diversity of cyanobacterial taxa to be discovered.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author