Determination of Cyanobacterial Composition of Eynal (Simav) Hot Spring in Kutahya, Turkey

Abstract

Cultural and molecular approaches were used to examine the cyanobacterial composition of Eynal (Simav) hot spring in Kutahya. Water and mat samples were collected for isolation in culture, microscopic morphological examination, and molecular diversity analysis based on 16S-23S ITS region sequences. Obtained different cyanobacterial morphotypes were identified, the most abundant of which were the members of Leptolyngbya and Oscillatoria genera. Different from classical identification, molecular analyses were allowed the detection of additional genus corresponded to Synechococcus, Geitlerinema, Phormidium, and filamentous thermophilic cyanobacterium. Overall diversity and morphological/genetic variation of thermophilic cyanobacteria are not as high as described from other hot springs. The results showed a low cyanobacterial diversity of Eynal hot spring, with only 10 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per sample obtained by a combination of strain isolations, clone libraries and DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) based on 16S rRNA genes.