Thermoleptolyngbya albertanoe ETS-08

Thermoleptolyngbya albertanoe ETS-08 is one of the first described species among thermal cyanobacteria from the Euganean Thermal District. It was isolated in 2004 from biofilms found in the maturing muds of Montegrotto Terme, in a temperature range between 26 and 59 °C.

 

Initial studies conducted by Moro et al. in 2010 analyzed the species’ morphological, biochemical (particularly pigment composition), and phylogenetic characteristics.

 

Morphologically, ETS-08 displays flexuous, curved, and unbranched trichomes, often intertwined (Figure 1A). The cells are elongated and slender, surrounded by a multilayered sheath (Figure 1B), likely serving as protection against extreme environmental conditions.

 

Figure 1. Images of Thermoleptolyngbya albertanoe ETS-08 under light microscopy. Scale bar: 10 µm.

 

Thermoleptolyngbya albertanoe ETS-08 is considered thermotolerant, as it grows well between 25 and 40 °C, but can survive up to 50–55 °C in natural environments. It can also adapt to alkaline pH levels, a capacity attributed to the protection offered by its thick sheath. Genetically, ETS-08 showed similarities to a cyanobacterium isolated from Hunter’s Hot Springs (USA). Its genetic sequence (16S rDNA gene) is registered in international databases (FM210757).

 

Subsequent phylogenetic studies by Sciuto & Moro in 2016 placed ETS-08 in the new genus Thermoleptolyngbya, a distinct group that includes numerous thermophilic species with similar traits.

 

The species was also detected through next generation sequencing (Gris et al. 2020) both in clays from thermal ponds and lakes, and in mature muds, although with lower abundance compared to other taxa.

 

Currently, Thermoleptolyngbya albertanoe ETS-08 is being cultured and preserved at the Strain Collection of the Plant Genome Editing and Phenotyping Facility of the Department of Biology, University of Padua, on behalf of the Centro Studi Termali Pietro d’Abano.

 

 

This record is the result of a long-standing collaboration with the Department of Biology, University of Padua, and is part of the Digital Archive of the Centro Studi Termali Pietro d’Abano, created with the support of the Municipality of Montegrotto Terme (Municipal Council Resolution No. 121 of 17-07-2025).