Molecular Diversity of Cyanobacteria from Khovsgol Lakes and Basins of the Khangai-Khentei Mountainous Region, Mongolia

Abstract This study analyzes the diversity of cyanobacteria in water bodies of the Khangai-Khentei mountain region of Mongolia. Samples collected from Lakes Khovsgol and Terkhiin-Tsagaan, as well as from adjacent water bodies, revealed representatives of the genera Leptodesmis, Persinema, Koinonema, Planktothricoides, and Constrictifilum, which had not previously been recorded in the flora of the Khangai region. The obtained monoclonal strains of microalgae were studied using light microscopy and molecular genetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The morphological and molecular data presented expand the understanding of the species diversity of algal flora in freshwater ecosystems of Mongolia and can serve as a basis for further taxonomic and ecological research.