MANJU BALA BISHNOI, SURYAKANT PANCHAL, JYOTI YADAV, YOGESH CHANDRA AND NAMITA SINGH*
Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Bio and Nano Technology, Guru Jambheshwer University of
Science and Technology, Hisar-125 001 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : namitasingh71@gmail.com; Mobile : 94169 28883)
(Received : November 4, 2021; Accepted : January 10, 2022)
ABSTRACT
Phycobiliproteins [PBPs] is a potent substance among others with the ability to replace synthetic, toxic
and are carcinogenic chemical products. In the present study, the cyanobacteria procured from freshwater
sites were isolated in laboratory-controlled conditions. Four out of 16 high phycocyanin-producing
cyanobacterial isolates were selected and characterized based on a specific growth rate of chlorophyll a,
phycocyanin concentration and the high irradiance tolerance in response of hill activity was also
determined. It was found that the NSSP6 showed the highest tolerance and survival percentage in
response to hill activity (DCPIP reduction) and 50% growth inhibition (I50) which was followed by isolates
5MNS2014, 13MNS2014 and NSSP33. The molecular identification of selected cyanobacterial isolates
was also made using a molecular method like DNA extraction. The extracted DNA was amplified by
using 16S r RNA region-specific primers using PCR. Phylogenetic identification and analysis of species
was made by evaluating obtained sequence using the maximum likelihood method based on the TamuraNei model. Evolutionary analyses were conducted in molecular evolutionary genetics analysis (MEGA)
software version X. The high light intensity tolerant and high phycocyanin-producing cyanobacterial
isolate suggested that they had enormous potential to produce phycocyanin as producers in commercial
industries.
Key words : Cyanobacteria, molecular identification, hill activity, percentage of survival, phycocyanin