Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phylum BX. Cyanobacteria

  • Chapter
Bergey’s Manual® of Systematic Bacteriology

Abstract

The oxygenic photosynthetic procaryotes comprise a single taxonomic and phylogenetic group (see master phylogenetic tree of the Bacteria). In the last edition of the Manual, two separate groups were described, but it is now apparent that members of the Prochlorales simply represent different, unrelated genera which fall into the main cluster of the Cyanobacteria (see Oxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria, below). The principal character that defines all of these oxygenic photosynthetic procaryotes is the presence of two photosystems (PSII and PSI) and the use of H2O as the photoreductant in photosynthesis. Although facultative photo- or chemo-heterotrophy may occur in some species or strains, all known members are capable of photoautotrophy (using CO2 as the primary source of cell carbon).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Further Reading

  • Kann, E. 1972. Zur Systematik und Ökologie der Gattung Chamaesiphon (Cyanophyceae). I. Systematik. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 41, Algological Studies 7: 117–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterbury, J.B. and R.Y. Stanier. 1977. Two unicellular cyanobacteria which reproduce by budding. Arch. Microbiol 115: 249–257.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Potts, M., R. Ocampo-Friedmann, M.A. Bowman and B. Tözün. 1983. Chroococcus S24 and Chroococcus N41 (cyanobacteria): morphological, biochemical and genetic characterization and effects of water stress on ultrastructure. Arch. Microbiol 135: 81–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komârek, J., J. Kopecks’ and V. Cepâk. 1999. Generic characters of the simplest cyanoprokaryotes Cyanobium, Cyanobacterium and Synechococcus. Cryptogam. Algol. 20: 209–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R. and G. Cohen-Bazire. 1983. The Cyanobacteriales: a legitimate order based on the type strain Cyanobacterium stanierz? Ann. Microbiol. (Institut Pasteur) 134B: 21–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R., J. Deruelles, J.B. Waterbury, M. Herdman and R.Y. Stanier. 1979. Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111: 1–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilmotte, A.M.R. and W.T. Stam. 1984. Genetic relationships among cyanobacterial strains originally designated as Anacystis nidulans’and some other Synechococcus strains. J. Gen. Microbiol. 130: 2737–2740.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komarek, J., J. Kopeck and V. Cepak. 1999. Generic characters of the simplest cyanoprokaryotes Cyanobium, Cyanobacterium and Synechococcus. Cryptogam. Algol. 20: 209–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R. and G. Cohen-Bazire. 1983. The Cyanobacterialea a legitimate order based on the type strain Cyanobacterium stanien? Ann. Microbiol. (Institut Pasteur) 134B: 21–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilmotte, A.M.R. and W.T. Stam. 1984. Genetic relationships among cyanobacterial strains originally designated as Anacystis nidulans’and some other Synechococcus strains. J. Gen. Microbiol. 130: 2737–2740.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, T.C. and TJ. Chow. 1988. New type of N2-fixing cyanobacterium (blue-green algae). FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 36: 109–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komarek, J. 1976. Taxonomic reviews of the genera Synechocystis Sauv. 1892; Synechococcus Nag, 1849, and Cyanothece gen. nov. (Cyanophyceae). Arch. Protistenkd. 118: 119–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komarek, J. and K. Anagnostidis. 1998. Cyanoprokaryota 1. Teil Chroococcales, G. Fischer, Jena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitsui, A., S. Kumazawa, T. Takahashi, H. Ikemoto, S. Cao and T Arai. 1986. Strategy by which nitrogen-fixing unicellular cyanobacteria grow photoautotrophically. Nature 323: 730–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yopp, J.H., D.R. Tindall, D.M. Miller and W.E. Schmid. 1978. Isolation, purification and evidence of the obligate halophilic nature of the blue-green alga Aphanothece halophytica Frenig (Chroococcales). Phycologia 17: 172–177.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walsby, A.E., J. van Rijn and Y. Cohen. 1983. The biology of a new gas vacuolate cyanobacterium Dactylococcopsis saliva, a new species in Solar Lake, Sinae, Egypt. Proc.R. Soc. Lond. Ser.B. Biol. Sci. 217: 417–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, D.A., G. Cohen-Bazire and A.N. Glazer. 1981. Characterization of the biliproteins of Gloeobacter violaceus: chromophore content of a cyanobacterial phycoerythrin carrying phycourobilin chromophore. Arch. Microbiol. 129: 190–198.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R., J.B. Waterbury and G. Cohen-Bazire. 1974. A cyanobacterium which lacks thylakoids. Arch. Microbiol. 100: 419–436.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, R.A. 1975. A marine Synechocystis (Cyanophyta, Chroococcales) epizoic on ascidians. Phycologia 14: 153–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, R.A. 1977. Prochloron, a type genus of the Prochlorophyta. Phycologia 16: 2–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, R.A., L. Cheng and R.S. Alberte. 1984. Prochloron-ascidian symbioses: photosynthetic potential and productivity. Micronesia 19: 165–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geitler, L. 1932 (Reprinted 1971). Cyanophyceae. In Rabenhorst (Editor), Kryptogamenflora von Deutschland, Osterreich und der Schweiz, Vol. 14, Akademische Verlags, Leipzig. (Johnson Reprint Co., New York ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, J.G., N.R. Krieg, P.H.A. Sneath, J.T. Staley and S.T. Williams. 1994. Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th Ed., The Williams Wilkins Co., Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komarek, J. and K. Anagnostidis. 1986. Modern approach to the classification system of cyanophytes: 2. Chroococcales. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 73: 157–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komarek, J. and K. Anagnostidis. 1998. Cyanoprokaryota 1. Teil Chroococcales, G. Fischer, Jena.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R., J. Deruelles, J.B. Waterbury, M. Herdman and R.Y. Stanier. 1979. Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111: 1–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R., J.B. Waterbury and R.Y. Stanier. 1981. Isolation and purification of cyanobacteria: some general principles. In Starr, Stolp, Trüper, Balows and Schlegel (Editors), The Prokaryotes. A Handbook on Habitats, Isolation, and Identification of Bacteria, Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 212–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterbury, J.B. 1989. Subsection II. Order Pleurocapsales. In Staley, Bryant, Pfennig and Holt (Editors), Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology,lst Ed., Vol. 3, The Williams Wilkins Co., Baltimore. pp. 1746–1770.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterbury, J.B. 1992. The cyanobacteria–isolation, purification, and identification. In Balows, Trüper, Dworkin, Harder and Schleifer (Editors), The Prokaryotes. A Handbook of Bacteria: Ecophysiology, Isolation, Identification, Applications,2nd Ed., Vol. 2, Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 2058–2078.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterbury, J.B. and R.Y. Stanier. 1978. Patterns of growth and develop- ment in pleurocapsalean cyanobacteria. Microbiol. Rev. 42: 2–44.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bourrelly, P. 1970. Les Algues d’eau Douce. I II. Les Algues Bleues et Rouges, les Eugleniens, Peridiniens et Cryptomonadines, N. Boubée Cie, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourrelly, P. 1985. Les Algues d’eau Douce. III. Les Algues Bleues et Rouges, les Eugleniens, Peridiniens et Cryptomonadines, 2nd ed., N. Boubée Cie, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castenholz, R.W. 1989. Subsection IV. Order Nostocales. In Staley, Bryant, Pfennig and Holt (Editors), Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 1st ed., Vol. 3, The Williams Wilkins Co., Baltimore. pp. 1780–1793.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desikachary, T.V. 1959. Cyanophyta, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geitler, L. 1932. Cyanophyceae. In Kolkwitz (Editor), Rabenhorst’s Kryptogamenflora von Deutschland, Österreich and der Schweiz, Vol. 14, Akademische Verlags, Leipzig.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giovannoni, S.J., S. Turner, G.J. Olsen, S. Barnes, DJ. Lane and N.R. Pace. 1988. Evolutionary relationships among cyanobacteria and green chloroplasts. J. Bacteriol. 170: 3584–3592.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Komarek, J. and K. Anagnostidis. 1989. Modern approach to the classification system of cyanophytes, 4. Nostocales. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 82: 247–345.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, S. 1997. Molecular systematics of oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. Plant Syst. Evol. Suppl. 11: 13–52.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, S., K.M. Pryer, V.P.W. Miao and J.D. Palmer. 1999. Investigating deep phylogenetic relationships among cyanobacteria and plastids by small subunit rRNA sequence analysis. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 46: 327–338.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Richard W. Castenholz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Annick Wilmotte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael Herdman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rosmarie Rippka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. John B. Waterbury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Isabelle Iteman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Lucien Hoffmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Biology, Portland State University, 97207-0751, Portland, OR, USA

    David R. Boone (Vice Chairman) (Vice Chairman)

  2. Department of Biology, University of Oregon, 97403-1210, Eugene, OR, USA

    Richard W. Castenholz

  3. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Bergey’s Manual Trust, Michigan State University, 48824-1101, East Lansing, MI, USA

    George M. Garrity

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Castenholz, R.W. et al. (2001). Phylum BX. Cyanobacteria. In: Boone, D.R., Castenholz, R.W., Garrity, G.M. (eds) Bergey’s Manual® of Systematic Bacteriology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-21609-6_27

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-21609-6_27

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3159-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-21609-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation