Phylogenetic analyses on the biological crusts of several algae in the Taklimakan Desert
The unique biological property of desert algae comes from the extreme environment of the Taklima-kan Desert in Xinjiang,but so far there are no related reports on the desert algae.To study the microalgae spe-cies of the Takilimakan Desert,6 desert microalgae were isolated from sand samples using 9 6-well plate limited dilution and spread plate methods.Morphologically,5 of the strains investigated were Chlorophyta (TLD2A1, TLD2B,TLD6B,TLD7A-2,TLD7B-5)while TLD5A1 was a Cyanobacterium.TLD2A1 and TLD2B showed a close relationship with Chlorellaceae,TLD2B and TLD7A-2 with Chlamydomonadaceae,and TLD7B-5 with Tetranephris brasiliensis of the Sphaeropleales.TLD5A1 and Nostoc clustered in a single clade,and the TLD5A1 strain was 97% similar to Nostocellipsosporum.This study determined the taxonomic status of the 6 strains of microalgae in the desert,providing a theoretical basis for future research of the Taklimakan Desert al-gae.