zeinab shariatmadari

Natural ponds are renowned for harboring a unique microalgal community, encompassing a wide diversity of common and rare species, including diatoms, cyanobacteria, and green microalgae. Yet, no comprehensive floristic study has ever been conducted on the natural ponds within the Shibkouh District. In this study, water and soil samples were collected from three distinct sites within the Shibkouh District (water bodies, wetland, and soil) to investigate the algal diversity present in these habitats. To cultivate the collected samples for further analysis, two different culture media were employed - BG11 and BG11: 1.5 M NaCl. Notably, an intriguing occurrence observed during this study was the bloom of Dunaliella salina in its green phase specifically in the semipermanent pond. Our findings revealed a total of 26 taxa comprising 12 genera of cyanobacteria, four genera of diatoms, and two genera of Chlorophyta. Remarkable variations were observed in both species richness and taxonomic composition between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, notable differences were observed when comparing samples cultured in different types of culture media. Diatoms were also identified as the dominant microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions typically found within wetland habitats (Site 2). This Site exhibited higher taxa richness compared to other sampling locations. As a result, these natural ponds have a vital role in preserving algal biodiversity. They serve as habitats not only for typical freshwater microalgae but also for halotolerant taxa such as diatoms that can thrive under difficult environmental conditions.

Mentha piperita L. is one of the most important aromatic crops and is cultivated worldwide for essential oils (EOs).  The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of two cyanobacteria, Anabaena vaginicola ISB42 and Nostoc spongiaeforme var. tenue ISB65, as biological-elicitors to improve the growth and essential oil production of M. piperita. In this experiment, inoculation of M. piperita with cyanobacteria was performed by adding 1% cyanobacterial suspension to the soil of treated pots on the first time of planting and every 20 days thereafter. The experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design in an experimental greenhouse condition. After 90 days planting, the vegetative growth factors, the content of photosynthetic pigments, as well as the quantity and quality of EOs of treated and control plants were evaluated. Also, quantitative changes in the expression of some menthol biosynthesisrelated genes were investigated. Cyanobacterial application led to significant increases in M. piperita growth indices including root and shoot biomass, leaf number, leaf area, node number and ramification, as well as photosynthetic pigments content. The statistical analysis showed a 41-75 % increase in some of these growth indices, especially in Nostoc-treated plants. A. vaginicola and N. spongiaeforme var. tenue inoculation led to a 13% and 25% increase in the EOs content of M. piperita, respectively. The EOs components were also affected by cyanobacterial treatments. According to the statistical analysis, Nostoc-treated plants showed the highest amount of (-)-menthone and (-)-limonene, with a 2.36 and 1.87-fold increase compared to the control. A. vaginicola and N. spongiaeforme var. tenue inoculation also led to 40% and 98% increase in transcript level of (-)-limonene synthase gene, respectively. The expression of the (-)-menthone reductase gene, was also increased by 65% and 55% in response to A. vaginicola and N. spongiaeforme var. tenue application, respectively.  Our data demonstrated that in addition to growth enhancement, these two heterocystous cyanobacteria improved the quantity and quality of EOs by up-regulating the key genes involved in the menthol biosynthetic pathway. Based on our results, these cyanobacteria can be considered valuable candidates in the formulation of low-cost and environmentally friendly biofertilizers in sustainable peppermint production

Cyanobacteria have the ability to nitrogen fixation, and the production of plant growth-stimulating substances, which increases plant growth and productivity as biological elicitors. Considering the medicinal value of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Monch, the effect of two species of heterocystous cyanobacteria, Nostoc punctiforme Hariot and, and Nostoc calcicola Brébisson ex Bornet & Flahault, on growth factors and phenolic content of this medicinal plant were evaluated. For this purpose, four pots were considered for each treatment and four others for the control plants. E. purpurea cultivated in a randomized complete block design in an experimental greenhouse condition. Then the treated plants were irrigated with 120 ml of 0.2% cyanobacterial suspensions at 20-day intervals. After 60 days, plants were collected and dried under shade and at room temperature. The total phenolic content of the aerial part and root of treated and control plants were evaluated using the Folin-Ciocaltiu method. The results showed that the total phenolic content of cyanobacterial-treated plants, especially plants treated with N. calcicola, significantly increased. This metabolite improvement was observed both in the aerial part and the root system of the N. calcicola treated plants. The results also showed that plant growth parameters such as root and stem length, as well as number of leaves in both treatments increased significantly compared to the control. As a result of this study, cyanobacteria can be improving the phenolic content and growth indices of the medicinal plant E. purpurea.

The cyanobacteria isolated and purified from soil can increase plant growth and productivity as bioelicitors.

This study aimed was to investigate the effect of cyanobacteria as a bioelicitor on the production efficiency and essential oil composition of Mentha longifolia L.

Two species of heterocystous cyanobacteria, Anabaena vaginicola ISB42 and Nostoc spongiaeforme ISB65, were used as bioelicitors to optimize the growth and productivity of Mentha longifolia L. Five pots were considered for each treatment and five others for the control plants. Treatment lasted for 100 days, and the treated plants were irrigated with 200 ml of cyanobacterial suspensions (0.2 %) every 21 days intervals. The experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design in an experimental greenhouse condition. After inoculation of treated plants with cyanobacterial bioelicitors, the vegetative factors, including shoot and root length, leaf area, as well as fresh and dry weight of plants were evaluated. In addition to growth factors, analyses of essential oils in studied plants were performed.

The results showed significant improvement in vegetative growth indices of the treated plants. Also, some economic and medicinal metabolites such as menthol, eucalyptol and phytol were increased in the essential oil of treated plants. The results also showed a significant increase in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated diterpenes in plants treated with cyanobacteria compared to controls.

So, the use of cyanobacterial bioelicitors can be suitable to increase the yield as well as the economic and medicinal value of this medicinal plant.

Cyanobacteria are important part of microflora in terrestrial ecosystems. Due to the presence of protective mechanisms in these microorganisms, they have potential to tolerate abnormal ecological conditions especially in arid and semi-arid habitats. In the present study, the diversity, distribution and community’s structure of the heterocystous cyanobacteria isolated from natural habitats of Iran with different solar radiation gradient were investigated. In total, 41 heterocystous morphospecies were isolated from soils of 21 studied sites. The isolated taxa were belonged to eight genera including Nostoc (54.68%) followed by the Calothrix (13.63%), Cylindrospermum (9.76%), Anabaena (7.32%), Trichormus (7.32%), Wollea (2.43%), Nodularia (2.43%), and Hapalosiphon (2.43%), respectively. According to the results, ecological factors such as solar radiation, relative humidity, and soil salinity can affect the diversity and distribution of these cyanobacteria in terrestrial ecosystems. The results also showed that, some taxa were dominant in stations with high radiation levels. Among the identified taxa, Nostoc was found to be the dominant genus at all stations, especially in sites with higher solar radiation levels. In addition, the presence of the brown Nostoc species in arid areas confirming their resistance due to their high amount of carotenoids content and other protective mechanisms that protect them from high light intensity.

Climate is an important influential element in the field of environment; So that the optimal management of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is not possible without serious attention to climatic conditions. In recent decades, water bloom of aquatic ecosystems has grown significantly. This risen growth is due to natural changes in climate patterns and distribution mechanisms of species, affected by environmental factors. The Goals of this study, as a retrospective research, are; a) evaluation of changes in the dominant pattern of phytoplankton communities in Aras Dam Lake in 2008 and 2013, b) investigation of the impact of meteorological, physical and chemical factors on phytoplankton population growth in the study area. Data sampling was carried out seasonally in three positions, namely Dam entrance, middle of lake and Dam output. At each gaging position, data were collected to identify and count phytoplankton and to analyze several water chemical factors. Satellite data were received from the MODIS sensor and chlorophyll a images were obtained. The highest levels of chlorophyll a in summer of 2008 and 2013 were 12.71 and 10 (mg/m3), respectively. Results showed that the abundance of phytoplankton had a high correlation with the concentration of chlorophyll. In summer, the high temperatures and pH affect bloom of Cyanobacterial communities. Usually, Cyanobacterial blooms were related to high values of temperature, pH and high concentration of the dissolved oxygen in summer. The results of principal component analysis and multiple regression showed that the air temperature is the most important factor in chlorophyll changes. The correlation coefficient between chlorophyll and air temperature was calculated to be 0.72. Change in the dominant pattern of phytoplankton communities towards Cyanobacterial pattern was observed in Aras Dam Lake, showing domination of Cyanophyta branch in all seasons of 2008 compared to 2013. This result may be caused by changes in the temperature and precipitation patterns over the study area.

Cyanoprokaryotes are simple photosynthetic microorganisms which have an important role in the soil carbon and nitrogen cycle. The current study aimed to investigate the flora of cyanoprokaryotes from medicinal plants bed. Also phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA marker was performed to investigate the phylogenetic relationships between different cyanoprokaryotic taxa and evaluate the efficiency of this marker in separation of taxonomic boundaries between taxa especially in the case of complex taxa, which their relations are not well-defined. For this purpose, after collection of soil, isolation and purification of strains were performed. The cyanoprokaryotic taxa were identified morphologically and 16S rRNA marker was used to approve the identifications. Phylogenetic analysis performed using Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference. Totally, 42 cyanoprokaryotic taxa were identified and Nostoc was an abundant genus in the soil of medicinal plants bed. The phylogenetic tree revealed Nostocales as a monophyletic group. Also, Wollea together with Anabaena, and Nostoc together with Desmonostoc created monophyletic groups. Results revealed that, 16S rRNA is an effective phylogenetic marker in high classification rankings such as order, family and genus. However, 16S rRNA could not be an effective marker in separation of close genera such asNostoc and Desmonostoc.

Cyanobacteria represent a small taxonomic group of photosynthetic prokaryotes which some of them are capable of N2 fixation and also possess a tremendous potential for producing a wide range of secondary metabolites. It has been suggested that, some of these microorganisms, especially heterocystous cyanobacteria, assist higher plant growth by supplying growth stimulating substances. During a floristic study of algae in the terrestrial habitats of Iran, cyanobacterial taxa presented in natural habitats of a medicinal plant (Tanacetum parthenium), located in Lorestan province (Iran) is isolated and identified. Among identified taxa, two species, Cylindrospermum voukii, and Wollea saccata are reported as new records from Nostocaceae family in Iran. Beside description of the new taxa, general distribution, as well as camera lucida images are included herewith.

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of environmental conditions with emphasis on the main meteorological factors (air temperature variables, sunshine hour, and humidity), on phytoplankton communities. As important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, phytoplankton communities could be affected by several factors. Environmental factors play the major role in occurrence and diversity of these photosynthetic microorganisms. In the present study, the relationship between phytoplankton occurrence and meteorological variables was assessed in several artificial ponds and lakes in the National Botanical Garden of Iran. For this purpose, surface water samples of the selected sites were monthly studied over a year. A total of 122 taxa of phytoplanktons were identified in the mentioned sites out of which, five taxa were new records for Iran. Among several taxa, six dominant genera, including Chroococcus (Cyanophyta), Nitzschia (Bacillariophyta), Glenodinium (Pyrrhophyta), Scenedesmus, Cosmarium, and Tetraedron (Chlorophyta), were selected for further investigation. The meteorological factors were considered with emphasis on air temperature variables (maximum and minimum temperatures, average air temperature, wet and dry temperatures, and dew point temperature), sunshine hour, and humidity. Results showed that, climatic conditions can be considered as effective factors on phytoplankton communities. The results of regression analysis between algal density and meteorological variables showed that, phytoplankton’s density has a significant correlation with the sunshine hour and air temperature variables. It seems that, the regression equation and environmental sensitivity vary from one taxon to another.

Culturing, isolation, purification, and identification of cyanobacteria collected from wheat ield soil, in five stations around the industrial areas in Yazd province (Iran) were conducted in this study. dentification of taxa was based on morphology and molecular methods. Cluster analysis and principal component nalyses performed using SPSS software and rate of resemblance among the taxa were investigated. The hylogenetic analyses carried out according to 16S rRNA gene sequences data, and the phylogenetic relationships were ssessed by Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference. The results of this study ndicated presence of 32 species included in four orders of cyanobacteria. Among these orders, Oscillatoriales with three families, eight genera and 13 species showed the highest species diversity, whereas Chroococcales with two families, hree genera and four species, exhibited the lowest diversity. Among isolated taxa, Oscillatoria ornata, O. ngelmanniana, Jaaginema pallidum, Pseudanabaena minima, Stenomitos frigidus, Nostoc edaphicum, and Gloeothece epidariorum, are reported as new records for algal flora in Iran. Distributions and descriptions of the new taxa were also resented.

To investigate the non-heterocystous filamentous cyanoprokaryotes in terrestrial habitats of Yazd province, seven stations in Taft, Meybod and Ardakan counties were selected. In the present paper an attempt was made to identify cyanoprokaryotes using morphological characteristics. In this study 4 families including Microcoleaceae, Oscillatoriaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae and Leptolyngbyaceae, 18 species belonging to 9 genera including, Oscillatoria, Kamptonema, Phormidium, Lyngbya, Oxynema, Microcoleus, Jaaginema, Pseudanabaena and Leptolyngbya were identified. Ecological distribution and camera lucida drawing of species are presented. It should be notedthat Phormidium arvense Gardne, Phormidium chlorinum (Kützing ex Gomont) Umezak and Microcoleus steenstrupii Petersen are the 3 new records from Iran.

Mycorrihzal fungi can simplify the absorption of mineral elements, decrease diseases, improve soil structure and as a result growth stimulation of plant and increase quantity and quality of products. In this study, soil samples of saffron were collected from a location in Shahriar, Tehran and physical and chemical criteria such as pH, percent age of symbiosis, the number of spores for mycorrhizal fungi were measured. A total of nine fungi species were observed in saffron rhizosphere microflora. The effect of fungi treatments Funneliformis mosseae on vegetative growth of saffron was also investigated. The result of pot experiments indicated that saffron treated with mycorrhiza, had significant differences (p≤0.05) in vegetative characteristics such as height of plant as well as wet weight of roots and stems in compared to control.

Heterocystous cyanobacteria represent an interesting group of photosynthetic prokaryotes which are capable of N2 fixation and are present abundantly in rice fields. The aim of this study was the identification and purification of cyanobacteria from rice fields in the Kalate Naderi، which is located in north-east of Khorasan Razavi Province. To approach this aim، four paddy fields were selected to investigate heterocyestous blue-green algae. In total، 30 taxa were identified. These species belong to genera such as Nostoc، Anabaena، Cylindrospermum and Calothrix. Among these genera، Nostoc was found to be dominant genus in all samples. Six species، including Anabaena fuellebornii Schmidle، Anabaena inaequalis Bornet & Flahault، Nostoc pruniforme C. Agardh ex Bornet & Flahault، Nostoc amplissimum Setchell، Nostoc piscinale Kützing ex Bornet & Flahault، and Calothrix fusca (Kützing) Bornet & Flahault were identified as new records for Iran.

In present study, Anabaena isolates were collected from paddy field soils of seven main rice cultivation provinces situated in north, centre, south, west and east of Iran during 2 years from April 2008 to May 2010. Identification of taxa was carried out based on morphometric and molecular methods. Twenty one morphological characters and numerical taxonomic methods were used for classifying the several species of this genus. Numerical taxonomic studies were performed on 34 populations of 13 Anabaena morphospecies. A cluster analysis and principal component analysis performed using SPSS software and rate of resemblance among the species recognized. In the other section of this study phylogenetic relationships were determined by constructing 16S rRNA gene tree using the neighbor-joining algorithm. The results showed that populations of each species were placed close to each other and separate from the other species base on morphological characters. According to factor analysis, colonies form, filament structure, apoheterocytic or paraheterocytic form of filaments, position, shape and number of akinetes in filament, presence or absence of gelatinous sheath were the most variable characters which have been used for identification. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences also indicated that this gene site cannot separate genera such as Anabaena, Trichormus and Wollea which are morphologicaly close to each other.

Paddy fields are terrestrial ecosystems that represent a favorable environment for the growth of blue-green algae. Members of genus Anabaena Bory ex Bornet et Flahault are most important genera of filamentous heterocystous blue-green algae in these terrestrial ecosystems. In present study, Anabaena specimens were obtained from paddy field soils of seven main rice cultivation provinces situated in north, centre, south, west and east of Iran from April 2008 to May 2010. For isolation and identification of these taxa, algal cultures carried out by growing the specimens in nitrate free BG-11 medium. Identification was carried out by morphometric and molecular methods (16S rRNA gene sequencing). Thirty six morphological characters and numerical taxonomic methods were used for classifying the several species of this genus. Numerical taxonomic studies were performed on 34 populations of 13 Anabaena morphospecies. A cluster analysis and principal component analysis performed using MVSP software and rate of resemblance among the species recognized. The results showed that populations of each species are placed close to each other and separate from the other species only base on morphological characters.

Five aquatic sites of National Botanical Garden of Iran monthly were sampled from December 2003 to November 2004. Total number of 68 genera in 18 families and 11 orders of the planktonic Diatoms were identified. Among the families Bacillariaceae with 19 genera and species showed the highest species richness. Cymbellaceae (11 species), Naviculaceae (7 species), Surirellaceae (6 species), Pleurosigmataceae (4 species), Fragilariaceae and Achnanthaceae each with 4 species, Pinnulariaceae and Gomphonemaceae each with 2 species and Rhopalodiaceae, Cosmioneidaceae, Diadesmidiaceae, Amphipleuraceae, Catenulaceae, Melosiraceae, Mastogloiaceae, Stephanodiscaceae, Anomoeoneidaceae each with 1 species respectively presented in the studied sites. High population densities of species were observed in the cold seasons.

Five aquatic sites of National Botanical Garden of Iran monthly were sampled from December 2003 through November 2004. 68 genera and species of 10 families and 6 orders of the planktonic Chlorophyceae were identified. Among the families Desmidaceae with 22 genera and species showed the highest species richness. Scenedesmaceae (15 species) and Oocystaceae (14 species), Hydrodictyaceae (7 species), Ulotrichaceae (3 species), Zygnemataceae (2 species), Volvocaceae (2 species) and Cladophoraceae, Oedogoniaceae and Trentephliaceae each with 1 species respectively presented in the studied sites. High population densities of species were observed in the warm months.