Unexpected Micro-Spatial Scale Genomic Diversity of the Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon Gracile and its Phycosphere

Background: Genotypic diversity within cyanobacteria populations, partly driven by horizontal gene transfers, is a key factor of their colonization success, allowing them to cope with spatio-temporal fluctuations of the environmental conditions. By providing complementary functions, such as oxidative stress protection, heterotrophic bacteria composing phycospheres play also an essential role in cyanobacteria adaptation. Aphanizomenon gracile is a species of toxinogen cyanobacteria blooming worldwide with severe consequences for fresh and brackish water ecosystems. While marker heterogeneity surveys have shown that harmful cyanobacteria blooms were not clonal populations, the real extent of genetic and functional diversity within a population of freshwater cyanobacteria, including A. gracile , and their associated phycospheres remains unclear. Results: Here, comparative omics of four monoclonal strains of A. gracile isolated from a single drop of water reveals extensive heterogeneity of chemotypes and gene contents, despite constrained genome size and high similarity indices. These variations are remarkably associated with horizontal gene transfers (HGT) of biosynthetic gene clusters (BCG), and a novel siphophage infecting A. gracile displaying characteristics of temperate phages appears to participate to this genotypic diversification. In spite of high variability in heterotrophic taxa relative abundances, A. gracile phycospheres displayed an apparent functional redundancy implying biosynthesis of public goods. Conclusions: Altogether, these results suggest that a bloom would constitute a hot-spot for A. gracile genotype diversification driven by cyanophages, where losses and gains of BCGs compels cyanobacteria individuals to cooperate together and with heterotrophic bacteria in a black queen hypothesis compatible way.

Cyanotoxin Screening in BACA Culture Collection: Identification of New Cylindrospermopsin Producing Cyanobacteria

Microcystins (MCs), Saxitoxins (STXs), and Cylindrospermopsins (CYNs) are some of the more well-known cyanotoxins. Taking into consideration the impacts of cyanotoxins, many studies have focused on the identification of unknown cyanotoxin(s)-producing strains. This study aimed to screen strains from the Azorean Bank of Algae and Cyanobacteria (BACA) for MCs, STX, and CYN production. A total of 157 strains were searched for mcy, sxt, and cyr producing genes by PCR, toxin identification by ESI-LC-MS/MS, and cyanotoxin-producing strains morphological identification and confirmation by 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis. Cyanotoxin-producing genes were amplified in 13 strains and four were confirmed as toxin producers by ESI-LC-MS/MS. As expected Aphanizomenon gracile BACA0041 was confirmed as an STX producer, with amplification of genes sxtA, sxtG, sxtH, and sxtI, and Microcystis aeruginosa BACA0148 as an MC-LR producer, with amplification of genes mcyC, mcyD, mcyE, and mcyG. Two nostocalean strains, BACA0025 and BACA0031, were positive for both cyrB and cyrC genes and ESI-LC-MS/MS confirmed CYN production. Although these strains morphologically resemble Sphaerospermopsis, the 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis reveals that they probably belong to a new genus.

Interplay of Nutrients, Temperature, and Competition of Native and Alien Cyanobacteria Species Growth and Cyanotoxin Production in Temperate Lakes

Global warming and eutrophication contribute to formation of HABs and distribution of alien cyanobacteria northward. The current study assessed how alien to Europe Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Chrysosporum bergii will co-occur with dominant native Planktothrix agardhii and Aphanizomenon gracile species under changing conditions in temperate freshwaters. The experiments were carried out to examine the effect of nutrients and temperature on the growth rate of cyanobacteria, production of cyanotoxins, and interspecies competition. The highest growth rate was determined for A. gracile (0.43 day−1) and S. aphanizomenoides (0.40 day−1) strains at all the tested nutrient concentrations (IP and IN were significant factors). S. aphanizomenoides adapted to the wide range of nutrient concentrations and temperature due to high species ecological plasticity; however, A. gracile was able to suppress its dominance under changing conditions. Regularity between tested variables and STX concentration in A. gracile was not found, but IP concentration negatively correlated with the amount of dmMC-RR and other non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) in P. agardhii strains. The relative concentration of NRPs in nontoxic P. agardhii strain was up to 3-fold higher than in MC-producing strain. Our study indicated that nutrients, temperature, and species had significant effects on interspecies competition. A. gracile had a negative effect on biomass of both alien species and P. agardhii.

Cianobacterias en un embalse subtropical de la provincia de Salta (Argentina)

El embalse Limón se ha convertido en la principal fuente de agua potable para el 80% de la población del norte de la provincia de Salta (22° 05’47,90’’S-63° 44’ 19,48’’ W). Al presente, no existe información sistematizada de las algas del fitoplancton presentes en esta presa. Se analizaron 19 muestras del período 2013-2015 en ambas fases del ciclo hidrológico, según técnicas estandarizadas, con el objeto de evaluar la representatividad de cianobacterias potencialmente tóxicas en Limón y su importancia relativa en el fitoplancton. Existió un predominio de cianobacterias, con un incremento interanual significativo, siendo éstas más abundantes en los estiajes, con un promedio de 110.160 células en 2015, con predominio de Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii y Raphidiopsis mediterranea (75.027 y 170.000 células/ml). Entre las especies con potencial toxicogénico se destacaron por sus densidades Anabaenopsis elenkinii, Aphanizomenon gracile, Aphanocapsa annulata, Coelomoron tropicale, Chroococcus dispersus, C. raciborskii, Microcysis flos-aquae, Planktolyngbia limnetica, Pseudanabaena limnetica, R. mediterránea y R. curvata. La representatividad del grupo dentro del fitoplancton fue superior al 70 %. Se concluye que el cuerpo de agua es un ambiente de riesgo y debe ser monitoreado permanentemente para su empleo para agua de consumo humano.