Hello Everyone,
The past few years have seen a lot of new cyanobacterial taxa being described using a polyphasic approach. It will be interesting to know that what are the various good things about using this approach and importantly, are there some particular taxonomic groups/clusters that are still unresolved where the polyphasic approach is still to give any proper answer?
What further developments do we anticipate in the coming years? What are the new techniques/methods that can be further incorporated for a better understanding of cyanobacterial taxonomy?
Polyphasic means multi-dimensional aproach and in taxonomy, considering genetical, physiological and biochemical features at same time. This approach has been applied in bacterial taxonomy for long times. However, we could not check all kinds of phenotypic diference, hence, genetic difference is most important and phenotypic difference followed.
Nowadays, full genome based taxonomy become main stream and it will help differentiate strains that could not differentiate by previous approach. Most widely used criteria are ANI and AAI. I think, genome based taxonomy will also a main approach in cyanobacteria.
Although it is not my specialty, I advise you to read the following paper:
A polyphasic approach for the taxonomy of cyanobacteria: principles and applications, by Jiří Komárek (2016).
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09670262.2016.1163738
Dear Prashant,
I can see only advantages in an approach that integrates (therefore also called integrative taxonomy) evidence gained from different disciplines (morphotaxonomy, ultrastructure, molecular phylogeny, bioorganic chemistry, physiology, ecology etc.). For many cyanobacterial taxa that do not offer multiple strong morphological features it actually is a necessity to obtain combined evidence from different approaches. From a practical standpoint, almost all journals will no longer accept descriptions of new cyanobacterial taxa based on a single line of evidence.
Best wishes
Marco
Dear Marco,
Indeed. I too feel that the use of a polyphasic approach has provided a better resolution in the taxonomy of cyanobacteria. This has been particularly important as you have said in studying genera that do not show prominent morphological features OR which share closely related morphological features with some other genera. Our experience with the heterocytous ones indicates that in the coming times, many new smaller taxonomic entities will be described which will keep on providing a discrete and robust skeletal framework for more descriptions in a better way.
Although, on entering the true branched heterocytous taxonomy, there is still a lot of ground to cover and the scenario is a bit too complicated here.
But let us continue doing it and keep solving the puzzles!
Regards,
-PS
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Microbiology