Highly iterated palindromes (HIP) have been used as high resolution molecular markers for assessing the genetic variability and phylogenetic relatedness of heterocystous cyanobacteria (subsections IV and V) representing 12 genera of heterocystous cyanobacteria, collected from different geographical areas of India. DNA fingerprints generated using four HIP markers viz. HIP-AT, HIP-CA, HIP-GC, and HIP-TG showed 100 % polymorphism in all the heterocystous cyanobacteria studied and each marker produced unique and strain-specific banding pattern. Furthermore, phylogenetic affinities based on the dendrogram constructed using HIP DNA profiles of heterocystous cyanobacteria suggest the monophyletic origin of this entire heterocystous clade along with a clear illustration of the polyphyletic origin of the branched Stigonematalean order (Subsection V). In addition, phylogenetic affinities were validated by principal component analysis of the HIP fingerprints. The overall data obtained by both the phylogeny and principal component assessments proved that the entire heterocystous clade was intermixed, and there are immediate needs for classificatory reforms that satisfy morphological plasticity and environmental concerns.
Keywords: Heterocystous cyanobacteria; Highly iterated palindromes; Phylogeny; Principal component analysis.