Phylogenomic analysis resolves the evolutionary pattern of diversification of cyanobacteria and reveals the evolutionary affinity of novel Antarctic lineages.

Abstract

Establishing phylogenetic relationships among the major cyanobacterial lineages remains elusive. Here we report a phylogenetic analysis of a large and well curated dataset, which allowed us to resolve with maximum statistical support the general pattern of cyanobacterial diversification and to address the limited knowledge regarding the diversity of Antarctic cyanobacteria. The analysis included novel Metagenome-Assembled Genomes (MAGs) sampled from diverse lithic habitats across Antarctica at elevations up to 3.4 km. The results presented here revealed previously undetected lineages and provided a robust phylogenetic framework for a natural cyanobacterial classification.