Cultural and molecular characterization of photobionts of Peltigera Membranacea

Abstract

A molecular study was undertaken to clarify the identity of the photobiont in colourmorphs of the lichen, Peltigera membranacea. Two strains of cyanobacteria, identified as Nosroc sp. by morphology, were cultivated from each of two lichen specimens. Prokaryotic (16S) ribosomal RNA gene fragments were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from DNA extracted from the isolated strains and the lichens, and sequenced directly. Sequences were 98 1% identical between lichen specimens, TDI#AR94 and TDI#AR95, and highly similar to sequences published, or generated in this study from a type culture, for Nostoc. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences (‘ 16S rDNA’) of all four lichen-derived cyanobacteria appeared the same, even though the lichen specimens from which they originated had different sequences. The 16S rDXA from strains 9A and 9B were different from that of specimen TDI#AR94, the thallus from which they were isolated, and instead were the same as that of strains 10A and 10B, and their source, specimen TDI#AR95. When primers selective for the strain 9A sequence were used, however, a small amount of PCR product corresponding to the 16S rDNA of strain 9A was obtained from lichen TDI#AR94. The results confirm that the photobionts of P. membranacea belong to Nostoc, and suggest that genetic differences in the photobiont may be a factor in the occurrence of colourmorphs among cyanolichens.