Home

Nephrococcus

Generic name: NEPHROCOCCUS Li, 1984. Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 191.
Synonyms: ANACYSTIS Meneghini, 1837. Consp. Algol. Eugan., p. 324.[Drouet & Daily, 1956; Meneghini, Consp. Algol. Eugan., p. 324. 1837. Microcystis Unterabtheilung Anacystis Kutzing, Tab. Phyc. 1: 7. 1846. Polycystis Sectio Anacystis Hansgirg, Prodr. Algenfl. Bohmen 2: 144. 1892.]
Diagnosis:
Type species: Nephrococcus confertus Li 1984. [Drouet & Daily, 1956; Type species: Anacystis marginata Menegh.]
Descriptions:
Komárek & Anagnostidis (1998): Colonies micro- to macroscopic, gelatinous, composed of more or less spherical subcolonies, forming a granular, slimy mass. Subcolonies (1) 2-4-many-celled, enveloped by mucilaginous, wide, stratified or unstratified, sometimes yellow- brownish coloured envelopes, distinctly delimited at the surface. Cells aggregated in the centre of subcolony, oval and slightly arcuate to kidney-shaped, or irregular-rounded after intense division, in an indistinct wreath-shaped
arrangement; around cells sometimes indistinctly striated gelatinous envelopes.
Komárek (1992): Unicellular - colonial; colonies microscopic, spherical, with one up to many (64) cells irregularly or slightly tangentially agglomerated in the centre of a colony; the cells are enveloped by more or less narraw, own, fine, hyaline or slightly lamellated sheaths, and their groups are situated in a wide, colour- less or yellowish gelatinous envelope, which is slightly concentrically lamellated on the periphery and firmly limited. Cells oval and usually slightly arcuated up to kidney-shaped, with rounded ends, later irregular, rounded-pollygonal. Cell content yellowish or blue-green, homogeneous, with scattered small granules.
Genotype differences, molecular data:
Reproduction strategies, life cycles, cell division:
Komárek & Anagnostidis (1998): Cells divide by binary fission, irregularly, mainly perpendicular to the longer cell axis (origin of the cell arrangement). Reproduction by disintegration of colonies.

Komárek (1992): Cell division transversally and later in different planes in successive generations, forming tangentially oriented cells in a colony. The cells reach +/- their original size, but not shape before the next division. Reproduction by the disintegration of the colony.
Ultrastructure:
Taxonomic position, higher hierarchy:
Cyanophyceae, Chroococcales, Chroococcaceae
Notes to taxonomy, misinterpretations:
Ecology, ecophysiology, ecological significance:
Komárek (1992): The single (type) species grows aerophytically among other algae on the bark of trees in mountains (1140 m), so far known only from China (the upper river Xin-pen). From wet rocks in Asian mountains are known populations representing probably further species of this genus.
Physiology and biochemistry:
Distribution, endemism, problematic citations:
Reference strain:
Infrageneric scheme, species concept:
List of species:
Nephrococcus confertus Li 1984
Nephrococcus shilinensis Tian et al 2001

Unclear taxa:
Nephrococcus sp. in M. Watanabe et Komárek 1988

Keys:
List of stains:
Drawings:
Komárek 1992
Application technology:
Literature:
  2.1 taxonomy: Li 1984, Watanabe & Komarek 1988, Chu & al. 1991, Komárek 1992, Komárek & Anagnostidis 1998
  2.2 cytomorphology:
  2.3 16S rRNA sequencing:
  2.4 biology and life cycles:
  2.5 ecology: