Microcystin production during algal bloom occurrence in Laguna de Bay, the Philippines

ABSTRACT:   The amount of microcystin in Microcystis aeruginosa bloom was investigated during the rainy season of 1999 in Laguna de Bay, the Philippines. Bloom samples taken from the West Bay and East Cove stations of the lake were studied in relation to the characteristics of environmental conditions. Four types of microcystins, microcystin-LR (MC-LR), microcystin-RR (MC-RR), 6(Z)-Adda-microcystin-RR, and 3-desmethylmicrocystin-LR were identified from the natural bloom samples among which MC-LR was the most dominant type of microcystin. Production of microcystin (88.6 µg/100 mg dried cells) was highest during the first sampling week that coincided with high water transparency and high conductivity. The occurrence of a strong typhoon during the second sampling week had changed the environment drastically, which was characterized by low water transparency, high turbidity, low water temperature, and with trace amounts of MC-LR detected at the East Cove station. Thus, toxin production over time as well as the relationship between Microcystis production and toxin concentration could not be fully evaluated.     

蓝藻爆发机理研究进展

湖泊富营养化依然是我国目前以及今后相当长一段时期内的重大水环境问题.研究蓝藻水华的形成机制,具有重要的生态和环境意义.对近20年来国内外对蓝藻的研究状况做一个总结,提出自己的一些看法.     

Interpreting the Possible Ecological Role(s) of Cyanotoxins: Compounds for Competitive Advantage and/or Physiological Aide?

To date, most research on freshwater cyanotoxin(s) has focused on understanding the dynamics of toxin production and decomposition, as well as evaluating the environmental conditions that trigger toxin production, all with the objective of informing management strategies and options for risk reduction. Comparatively few research studies have considered how this information can be used to understand the broader ecological role of cyanotoxin(s), and the possible applications of this knowledge to the management of toxic blooms. This paper explores the ecological, toxicological, and genetic evidence for cyanotoxin production in natural environments. The possible evolutionary advantages of toxin production are grouped into two main themes: That of “competitive advantage” or “physiological aide”. The first grouping illustrates how compounds produced by cyanobacteria may have originated from the need for a cellular defence mechanism, in response to grazing pressure and/or resource competition. The second grouping considers the contribution that secondary metabolites make to improved cellular physiology, through benefits to homeostasis, photosynthetic efficiencies, and accelerated growth rates. The discussion also includes other factors in the debate about possible evolutionary roles for toxins, such as different modes of exposures and effects on non-target (i.e., non-competitive) species. The paper demonstrates that complex and multiple factors are at play in driving evolutionary processes in aquatic environments. This information may provide a fresh perspective on managing toxic blooms, including the need to use a “systems approach” to understand how physico-chemical conditions, as well biological stressors, interact to trigger toxin production.     

黄土高原风蚀水蚀交错区农田生物结皮对土壤渗透性的影响

为了明确黄土高原风蚀水蚀交错区农田生物结皮的分布状况及其对土壤渗透性的影响,本文以该区农田（春玉米）土壤自然发育的生物结皮为对象,通过野外调查,探索了该区农田生物结皮盖度及组成。并在此基础上,以裸土为对照,采用环刀法和双环法测定了土壤水分入渗参数,研究了农田藻结皮及藓结皮对土壤渗透性的影响。结果表明：风蚀水蚀交错区水浇地和旱地中均有生物结皮分布,平均盖度为42.11%,其中藻结皮盖度为33.74%,藓结皮盖度为8.37%。生物结皮显著降低了农田土壤饱和导水率,与裸土相比,藓结皮和藻结皮覆盖下土壤0~5 cm土层土壤饱和导水率分别降低55.14%和23.54%;藓结皮使土壤的稳定入渗速率、平均入渗速率及累积入渗量分别显著降低了51.11%、47.71%和46.50%,藻结皮使土壤的稳定入渗速率、平均入渗速率及累积入渗量分别降低了 25.56%、21.10%和 20.91%,但与裸土差异不显著。藓结皮的形成能够降低农田土壤砂粒含量,提高土壤黏粒含量,进而降低农田土壤渗透性。综上,生物结皮的形成导致了农田土壤渗透性的降低,这可能会进一步影响农作物对土壤水分的有效利用。     

Effect of the addition of Chaetoceros calcitrans,Navicula sp. and Phaeodactylum tricornutum (diatoms) on phytoplankton composition and growth of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) postlarvae reared in a biofloc system

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of Chaetoceros calcitrans, Navicula sp. and Phaeodactylum tricornutum (diatoms) on phytoplankton composition and the growth of Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae reared in a biofloc system . Four treatments were used: BFT (biofloc system without feed and no addition of diatoms); BFT‐F (biofloc system with feed and no addition of diatoms); BFT‐D (biofloc system with the addition of diatoms and no feed); and BFT‐FD (biofloc system with the addition of feed and diatoms), all in triplicate. The shrimp (16 ± 0.02 mg) were stocked at 2500 postlarvae m^?3 and fed a commercial feed. Diatoms were added on the 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th day at a density of 5 × 10⁴ cells mL^?1 for each species. No significant differences (P > 0.05) between treatments were observed for gross primary production, net ecosystem production and water column respiration rate. However, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed for nitrite, orthophosphate, alkalinity, final weight, weight gain, yield, feed conversion ratio (FCR), phytoplankton and cyanobacteria composition. The BFT‐FD treatment had better performance parameters for final weight (270 mg), weight gain (254 mg), yield (0.67 Kg m^?3) and FCR (0.61), indicating the benefits of the diatoms C. calcitrans, Navicula sp. and P. tricornutum for decreasing cyanobacteria and improving growth of L. vannamei postlarvae reared in biofloc systems.     

Algal and Cyanobacterial Lectins and Their Antimicrobial Properties

Lectins are proteins with a remarkably high affinity and specificity for carbohydrates. Many organisms naturally produce them, including animals, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, archaea, and viruses. The present report focuses on lectins produced by marine or freshwater organisms, in particular algae and cyanobacteria. We explore their structure, function, classification, and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, we look at the expression of lectins in heterologous systems and the current research on the preclinical and clinical evaluation of these fascinating molecules. The further development of these molecules might positively impact human health, particularly the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus, influenza, and severe acute respiratory coronaviruses, among others.     

Factors affecting toxicity of ferulate towards the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria cf chalybea

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of ferulate and its analogs, and factors which may affect the toxicity of ferulate to Oscillatoria cf chalybea, the cyanobacterium presumed to cause musty flavor in farm-raised catfish. Rapid bioassays utilizing 96-well and six-well cell culture plates were used to monitor the toxicity of ferulate analogs and potential ferulate stability factors toward O cf chalybea. The additions of low concentrations of the oxidizing compound sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate with ferulate did not help control O cf. chalybea. Of three forms of ferulate tested, trans-ferulate was most toxic towards O cf chalybea. Light enhanced the toxicity of ferulate, indicating that weather conditions and the time of day could influence the success of ferulate applications to fish ponds to control O cf chalybea. Ferulate was less toxic to O cf chalybea in six-well culture plates than in 96-well plates, indicating that higher concentrations of ferulate should be used in field trials, due to possible reduction of ferulate toxicity towards O cf chalybea in large, aquatic environments (ie fish ponds). These studies provided fundamental information on potential ferulate toxicity towards O cf chalybea to be considered before conducting field trials (ferulate applications to fish ponds). © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

束丝藻的竞争优势及其驱动机制的研究进展

束丝藻（Aphanizomenon）是一种丝状固氮蓝藻,具有入侵性且易暴发有害水华。近年来,在全球气候变化推动下束丝藻的扩张已然成为一种世界范围的现象,其广泛分布在温带、热带水体中,因其能合成藻毒素和异味物质而严重影响水生态系统功能,威胁饮用水安全和人类健康。束丝藻耐低温、喜低光,在偏碱性、低氮高磷水体中增殖较快,并凭其固氮、储磷以及释放藻毒素、形成群体胶鞘等独特生态策略使其在种间竞争以及群落结构演替中获得较大竞争优势,成为优势种群。鉴于束丝藻的危害性和扩张性,本文从束丝藻的生理生态特性、分布特征、竞争优势及其关键驱动因子等研究前沿进行了综述,并对相关研究领域进行展望,为进一步研究束丝藻种群竞争优势形成机制,有效防控束丝藻水华提供科学依据。     

Cyanobacterial Metabolite Calothrixins: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Biological Evaluation

The marine environment is host to unparalleled biological and chemical diversity, making it an attractive resource for the discovery of new therapeutics for a plethora of diseases. Compounds that are extracted from cyanobacteria are of special interest due to their unique structural scaffolds and capacity to produce potent pharmaceutical and biotechnological traits. Calothrixins A and B are two cyanobacterial metabolites with a structural assembly of quinoline, quinone, and indole pharmacophores. This review surveys recent advances in the synthesis and evaluation of the biological activities of calothrixins. Due to the low isolation yields from the marine source and the promise this scaffold holds for anticancer and antimicrobial drugs, organic and medicinal chemists around the world have embarked on developing efficient synthetic routes to produce calothrixins. Since the first review appeared in 2009, 11 novel syntheses of calothrixins have been published in the efforts to develop methods that contain fewer steps and higher-yielding reactions. Calothrixins have shown their potential as topoisomerase I poisons for their cytotoxicity in cancer. They have also been observed to target various aspects of RNA synthesis in bacteria. Further investigation into the exact mechanism for their bioactivity is still required for many of its analogs.     

Growth,Metabolism and Yield of Rice Cultivated in Soils Amended with Fly Ash and Cyanobacteria and Metal Loads in Plant Parts

Soil amendment with fly ash(FA) and combined supplementation with N_2-fixing cyanobacteria masses as biofertilizer were done in field experiments with rice. Amendments with FA levels, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 10.0 kg/m~2, caused increase in growth and yield of rice up to 8.0 kg/m~2, monitored with several parameters. Pigment contents and enzyme activities of leaves were enhanced by FA, with the maximum level of FA at 10.0 kg/m~2. Protein content of rice seeds was the highest in plants grown at FA level 4.0 kg/m~2. Basic soil properties, p H value, percentage of silt, percentage of clay, water-holding capacity, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and organic carbon content increased due to the FA amendment. Parallel supplementation of FA amended plots with 1.0 kg/m~2 N_2-fixing cyanobacteria mass caused further significant increments of the most soil properties, and rice growth and yield parameters. 1000-grain weight of rice plants grown at FA level 4.0 kg/m~2 along with cyanobacteria supplementation was the maximum. Cyanobacteria supplementation caused increase of important basic properties of soil including the total N-content. Estimations of elemental content in soils and plant parts(root and seed) were done by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Accumulations of K, P, Fe and several plant micronutrients(Mn, Ni, Co, Zn and Cu) and toxic elements(Pb, Cr and Cd) increased in soils and plant parts as a function of the FA gradation, but Na content remained almost unchanged in soils and seeds. Supplementation of cyanobacteria had ameliorating effect on toxic metal contents of soils and plant parts. The FA level 4.0 kg/m~2, with 1.0 kg/m~2 cyanobacteria mass supplementation, could be taken ideal, since there would be recharging of the soil with essential micronutrients as well as toxic chemicals in comparative lesser proportions, and cyanobacteria mass would cause lessening toxic metal loads with usual N_2-fixation.