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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Determination of the Glycogen Content in Cyanobacteria
Published on: July 17, 2017
Determinative value of a portion of the nifH sequence for the genera Nostoc and Anabaena (cyanobacteria)
I Tamas1, Z Svircev, S G Andersson
1Department of Molecular Evolution, EBC, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden. ivica.tamas@ebc.uu.se
Abstract:
The taxonomic positions of Nostoc and Anabaena strains are currently disputed. We selected three Nostoc and Anabaena strains, using the classic criteria of morphology and life cycle. DNA sequences of a part of the nifH gene were determined from these strains and aligned with homologous sequences from 10 other Nostoc/Anabaena strains in the public databases. Phylogenetic reconstructions were carried out to test the consistency of the taxonomic placement of these strains. The phylogenetic trees do not separate these strains into distinct groups. Our results are in agreement with other molecular-based phylogenies that also fail to differentiate the Nostoc-Anabaena groups. The data suggest that the currently recognized genera Nostoc and Anabaena may in fact belong within a single, broadly defined genus.
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