Microcystis spp. and phosphorus in aquatic environments: A comprehensive review on their physiological and ecological interactions.

Cyanobacterial blooms caused by eutrophication have become a major environmental problem in aquatic ecosystems worldwide over the last few decades. Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient that affects the growth of cyanobacteria and plays a role in dynamic changes in algal density and the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. Therefore, identifying the association between phosphorus sources and Microcystis, which is the most representative and harmful cyanobacteria, is essential for building an understanding of the ecological risks of cyanobacterial blooms. However, systematic reviews summarizing the relationships between Microcystis and phosphorus in aquatic environments are rare. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the physiological and ecological interactions between phosphorus sources and Microcystis in aquatic environments from the following perspectives: (i) the effects of phosphorus source and concentration on Microcystis growth, (ii) the impacts of phosphorus on the environmental behaviors of Microcystis, (iii) mechanisms of phosphorus-related metabolism in Microcystis, and (iv) role of Microcystis in the distribution of phosphorus sources within aquatic environments. In addition, relevant unsolved issues and essential future investigations (e.g., secondary ecological risks) have been highlighted and discussed. This review provides deeper insights into the relationship between phosphorus sources and Microcystis and can serve as a reference for the evaluation, monitoring, and effective control of cyanobacterial blooms.

Adverse role of colonial morphology and favorable function of microcystins for Microcystis to compete with Scenedesmus.

In eutrophic freshwaters, Microcystis usually becomes dominant in phytoplankton communities due to the synergistic effects of its special eco-physiological traits and environmental factors. Colonial morphology can protect Microcystis from zooplankton grazing, which indirectly favors Microcystis to outcompete other phytoplankton, although the colonial form is not conducive to the absorption of nutrients. Moreover, unicellular Microcystis usually has competitive advantages over other phytoplankton due to its efficient absorption capacity for nutrients and releasing microcystins. However, the consequence of direct competition between toxic colonial Microcystis and green algae without external grazing pressure still remained unknown. In this study, the competition between toxic colonial Microcystis aeruginosa and a common green alga Scenedesmus obliquus was explored. Results showed that: (1) colonial M. aeruginosa had a higher requirement for key macro-nutrient phosphorus than S. obliquus, and thus its population declined and was replaced by S. obliquus eventually; (2) microcystins released by colonial M. aeruginosa inhibited the photosynthetic activity and growth of S. obliquus at early stage of the competition; (3) the photosynthetic potential of colonial M. aeruginosa was stimulated in response to the competitive stress from S. obliquus, although the population of colonial M. aeruginosa declined eventually; (4) microcystin production of colonial M. aeruginosa was enhanced by phosphorus limitation due to S. obliquus competition and was positively related to photosynthetic potential of colonial M. aeruginosa. These results indicated that, in the absence of complex natural environment, colonial Microcystis cannot outcompete Scenedesmus in a pure competition, although microcystins can play a favorable role in the competition, which clarified the opposite role of colonies and microcystins in the competition of colonial Microcystis against other phytoplankton.

Multiple inhibitory effects of succinic acid on Microcystis aeruginosa: morphology, metabolomics, and gene expression.

The cell membrane permeability, morphology, metabolomics, and gene expression of Microcystis aeruginosa under various concentrations of succinic acid (SA) were evaluated to clarify the mechanism of SA inhibition of M. aeruginosa. The results showed that SA caused intracellular protein and nucleic acid extravasation by increasing the cell membrane permeability. Scanning electron microscopy suggested that a high dose of SA (60 mg L-1) could damage the cell membrane and even cause lysis in some cells. Metabolomics result demonstrated that change in intracellular lipids content was the main reason for the increase of cell membrane permeability. In addition, SA could negatively affect amino acids metabolism, inhibit the biosynthesis of nucleotides, and interfere with the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle of algal cells. Furthermore, SA also affected N assimilation and caused oxidative damage to Microcystis. In conclusion, SA inhibits the growth of M. aeruginosa through multisite action.

Immobilizing Microcystis aeruginosa and powdered activated carbon for the anaerobic digestate effluent treatment.

The environment pollution caused by livestock anaerobic digestate effluent (ADE) is becoming increasingly severe recently. In this study, immobilized technology, embedding Microcystis aeruginosa (MA) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) with sodium alginate (SA), was employed to investigate the removal performance of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the treatment of ADE solution. Initially, orthogonal experiment was carried out to achieve the optimal conditions of the beads fabrication with the concentration of imbedding agents (PAC-SA) of 5% (w/w) and the ratio of microalgae and imbedding agents was 1:1 (v/v). The results indicated that the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) can be efficiently removed under the optimal operation conditions, with average removals of 91.88 ± 2.91% in TN, 98.24 ± 0.12 in TP and 78.31 ± 1.57% in TOC, respectively. Moreover, the fluorescence excitation-mission matrix (EEM) results illustrated that IMA-PAC beads joined system can efficiently diminish the concentrations of protein-like compounds and humic substances. Therefore, the organic contaminants and nutrients (i.e. N and P) can be efficiently removed in IMA-PAC beads joined system, which would contribute to developing new strategies for the treatment of ADE solution and nutrient recycle.

Effects of phosphorus availability and phosphorus utilization behavior of Microcystis aeruginosa on its adaptation capability to ultraviolet radiation.

Phosphorus (P) plays a critical role in eutrophication and algal growth; therefore, improving our understanding of the impact of P is essential to control harmful algal blooms. In this study, Microcystis aeruginosa was treated with 5-h ambient irradiation in the medium with different dissolved inorganic P (DIP) concentrations, DIP-free, moderate-DIP, and high-DIP, to explore its growth and other physiological responses. Compared to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), UV-A (320-400 nm) and UV-B (280-320 nm) radiation had inhibitive effects on the photosynthesis and growth of M. aeruginosa, while high P availability could alleviate or eliminate the negative effects of UV radiation. The photosynthetic parameters had a minimum reduction and quickly recovered after re-inoculation under high-DIP conditions. Confirmed by SEM, photosynthetic pigments, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and other methods, ambient UV radiation exerted oxidative stresses rather than direct lethal effects on M. aeruginosa. Photosynthetic parameters indicated that algal UV-adaptation processes could include decreasing photo-induced damages and increasing self-repair efficiency. The P acquired by M. aeruginosa cells can have two function, which included alleviating UV-induced negative effects and sustaining algal growth. Consequently, UV-adaptation processes of M. aeruginosa resulted in an elevated demand for DIP, which resulted to increased P uptake rates and cellular P quota under moderate and high-DIP conditions. Therefore, the production of carotenoid and phycocyanin, and SOD activity increased under UV stress, leading to a better adaptation capability of M. aeruginosa and decreased negative effects of UV radiation on its growth. Overall, our findings demonstrated the significant interactive effects of P enrichment and irradiation on typical cyanobacteria, and the strong adaptation capability of M. aeruginosa in the eutrophic UV-radiated waters.

Comparative physiological tolerance of unicellular and colonial Microcystis aeruginosa to extract from Acorus calamus rhizome.

Microcystis blooms and their associated microcystins pose a significant health risk to humans. Microcystis normally occurs as colonies in eutrophic water bodies, and its physiological tolerance to algaecides is dissimilar to that of unicellular forms. However, the differences of physiological response to algaecides between unicellular and colonial Microcystis have been poorly explored. The current study investigated the effects of hexane extract of Acorus calamus rhizome (HEACR) on the physiological and photosynthetic mechanisms of unicellular and colonial M. aeruginosa in the laboratory. We analyzed the cell density, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, malonaldehyde (MDA) content, photosynthetic pigments, capsular polysaccharide (CPS), and photosystem (PS II) parameters of the two morphological forms of Microcystis. Our results show that HEACR suppresses the growth of both unicellular and colonial M. aeruginosa, increases the intracellular ROS level and cause lipid peroxidation, as well as exerting a detrimental effect on chlorophyll a (chl a) content and photosynthetic efficiency. Almost 100% inhibition was observed for unicellular and colonial M. aeruginosa after 3 d exposure to 50 and 100 mg L-1 HEACR, respectively. The ROS level increase, MDA accumulation, the chl a decrease and carotenoid increase in unicellular M. aeruginosa were all more obvious than that in colonial cells. The fall in photosynthetic efficiency of unicellular M. aeruginosa were also more significant than that of colonial cells. After 3d exposure, the maximum quantum yield of PS II photochemistry (Fv/Fm), effective quantum yield of PS II photochemistry (Fv'/Fm') and effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in PS II (YII) of unicellular M. aeruginosa was almost totally inhibited by 20 mg L-1 HEACR, while the Fv/Fm, Fv'/Fm' and YII of colonial M. aeruginosa decreased by 43%, 26% and 66% for 100 mg L-1 of HEACR, respectively. Comparing the two morphological forms of Microcystis, colonies show a greater increase in CPS level to more effectively resist the stress of HEACR and to mitigate ROS generation thereby better defending against oxidative damage. Furthermore, colonial M. aeruginosa shows better photoprotection ability than the unicellular form when exposed to HEACR. The colonies also sustain their maximum electron transport rate, increase their tolerance to strong light, and maintain a higher ability to disperse excess energy. These results demonstrated that HEACR can significantly interfere with the growth and physiological processes of both unicellular and colonial M. aeruginosa, but that colonial M. aeruginosa has a greater ability to adjust physiological tolerance to resist the stresses of HEACR.

Interactions between Microcystis aeruginosa and coexisting bisphenol A at different phosphorus levels.

Microcystis aeruginosa is known as the main contributor to cyanobacterial bloom, which is prevalent globally and degrades freshwater systems worldwide. The argument that the introduction of anthropogenic contaminants in fresh water stimulates cyanobacterial growth and microcystin production has attracted widespread attention. Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the most abundant endocrine-disrupting compounds, is often detected in various water bodies due to its notably high annual levels of production and use. Research on the combined effects of endocrine-disrupting compounds and environmental factors on cyanobacteria remains limited. To investigate the mechanism of interactions between contaminants and cyanobacteria at the cellular and proteomic levels, the growth rate, chlorophyll-a content, photosynthetic activities, microcystin-LR (MC-LR) production and release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and proteome expression of M. aeruginosa under 1 µM BPA stress at a standard phosphorus level were investigated. The results showed that stress responses to BPA included increases in the growth rate, chlorophyll-a content, and Fv/Fm and rETRmax values under the low phosphorus condition. Responses involving ROS, SOD, and MDA indicated that phosphorus sufficiency and BPA caused oxidative stress in M. aeruginosa. Moreover, phosphorus sufficiency and BPA stimulated the production and release of MCs. Compared to levels in the non-BPA-treated group, exposure of M. aeruginosa to BPA caused 72 up-regulated proteins, which were primarily associated with photosynthesis, ribosome, fatty acid biosynthesis, glycolysis/glyconeogenesis, and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms. The 105 down-regulated proteins were related to quorum sensing, base excision repair, ABC transporters, longevity regulating and cell cycle-caulobacter, suggesting that the cytotoxicity of cyanobacterial cells induced by BPA was significantly increased. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism of the effects of BPA and phosphorus on M. aeruginosa, suggesting that coexisting pollutants may cause greater harm to and health risks in the environment.

Biological floating bed and bio-contact oxidation processes for landscape water treatment: simultaneous removal of Microcystis aeruginosa, TOC, nitrogen and phosphorus.

The aim of this study was to identify algicidal bacteria J25 against the Microcystis aeruginosa (90.14%), Chlorella (78.75%), Scenedesmus (not inhibited), and Oscillatoria (90.12%). Meanwhile, we evaluate the SOD activity and efficiency of denitrification characteristics with Acinetobacter sp. J25. A novel hybrid bioreactor combined biological floating bed with bio-contact oxidation (BFBO) was designed for treating the landscape water, and the average removal efficiencies of nitrate-N, ammonia-N, nitrite-N, TN, TP, TOC, and algal cells were 91.14, 50, 87.86, 88.83, 33.07, 53.95, and 53.43%, respectively. A 454-pyrosequencing technology was employed to investigate the microbial communities of the BFBO reactor samples. The results showed that Acinetobacter sp. J25 was the dominant contributor for effective removal of N, algal cells, and TOC in the BFBO reactor. And the relative abundance of Acinetobacter showed increase trend with the delay of reaction time. Graphical abstract Biological floating bed and bio-contact oxidation (BFBO) as a novel hybrid bioreactor designed for simultaneous removal Microcystis aeruginosa, TOC, nitrogen, and phosphorus. And high-throughput sequencing data demonstrated that Acinetobacter sp. J25 was the dominate species in the reactor and played key roles in the removal of N, TOC, and M. aeruginosa. Proposed reaction mechanism of the BFBO.

Effects of Dracontomelon duperreanum Leaf Litter on the Growth and Photosynthesis of Microcystis aeruginosa.

This study investigated the use of Dracontomelon duperreanum leaf litter extract (DDLLE) in inhibiting the growth and photosynthesis of the algae Microcystis aeruginosa. The goal of the study was to evaluate a potential solution for cyanobacterial bloom prevention. M. aeruginosa was exposed to extract concentrations from 0.4 to 2.0 g L-1. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) content and photosynthesis levels were assessed using pulse amplitude modulated fluorimetry phytoplankton analyzer. Results suggested that the extract could efficiently suppress M. aeruginosa growth. The content of Chl-a was only 19.0 µg L-1 and achieved 96.0% inhibition rate when exposed to 2.0 g L-1 on day 15. Growth rate in response to different extract concentrations were consistent with changes in the photosynthesis efficiency (alpha), maximal relative electron transport rate and maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F v /F m ). Furthermore, several kinds of volatile chemicals and their concentrations in DDLLE had been identified by GC-MS, which of them play major role to suppress the growth of M. aeruginosa should be further studied.

New thermodynamic entropy calculation based approach towards quantifying the impact of eutrophication on water environment.

Although the eutrophication phenomenon has been studied for a long time, there are still no quantifiable parameters available for a comprehensive assessment of its impacts on the water environment. As contamination alters the thermodynamic equilibrium of a water system to a state of imbalance, a novel method was proposed, in this study, for its quantitative evaluation. Based on thermodynamic analyses of the algal growth process, the proposed method targeted, both theoretically and experimentally, the typical algae species encountered in the water environment. By calculating the molar enthalpy of algae biomass production, the heat energy dissipated in the photosynthetic process was firstly evaluated. The associated entropy production (ΔS) in the aquatic system could be then obtained. For six algae strains of distinct molecular formulae, the heat energy consumed for the production of a unit algal biomass was found to proportionate to the mass of nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) uptake through photosynthesis. A proportionality relationship between ΔS and the algal biomass with a coefficient circa 44kJ/g was obtained. By the principle of energy conservation, the heat energy consumed in the process of algae biomass production is stored in the algal biomass. Furthermore, by measuring the heat of combustion of mature algae of Microcystis flos-aquae, Anabaena flos-aquae, and Chlorella vulgaris, the proportionality relationships between the heat energy and the N and P contents were validated experimentally at 90% and 85% confidence levels, respectively. As the discharge of excess N and P from domestic wastewater treatment plants is usually the main cause of eutrophication, the proposed impact assessment approach estimates that for a receiving water body, the ΔS due to a unit mass of N and P discharge is 268.9kJ/K and 1870.1kJ/K, respectively. Consequently, P discharge control would be more important for environmental water protection.

Algal growth and utilization of phosphorus studied by combined mono-culture and co-culture experiments.

Phosphorus (P) plays a critical role in algal growth; therefore, a better understanding of P availability is essential to control harmful algal blooms. Three algae species, Microcystis aeruginosa, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, were mono-cultured and co-cultured on three types of P substrates, dissolved inorganic P (DIP), phosphomonoesters glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) and ß-glycerol phosphate (ß-glycerol-P), and phosphonate (glyphosate), to explore their growth and P utilization. All three species could utilize dissolved organic P (DOP) to sustain their growth, whereas DIP was their preferred P substrate in both culture types. Algae could regulate the P uptake capacity under different P conditions, and the added P could be rapidly accumulated at the beginning of the culture and slowly utilized during the subsequent life cycle. M. aeruginosa exhibited wider P selectivity and could utilize all three P substrates, whereas the other two species could only use phosphomonoester (G-6-P and ß-glycerol-P) in the mono-cultures. However, in the co-cultures, the relative bioavailability of DOP for M. aeruginosa and C. pyrenoidosa was enhanced, and M. aeruginosa might contribute to the growth of C. pyrenoidosa and P. subcapitata when fed with glyphosate. The three species showed an intrinsic ability to produce alkaline phosphatase (AP), and AP activity (APA) was regulated by Pi stress. However, high APA did not necessarily lead to high Pi release and algal growth on unfavorable substrates. Although M. aeruginosa was not superior in growth rate in the mono-cultures, it showed a better P accumulation ability and maintained stable growth on different P substrates. Moreover, it was a good competitor, suppressing the thriving growth of the other species in co-cultures. Overall, the findings indicated the strategic flexibility of P utilization by algae and the strong competitive ability of M. aeruginosa in Pi-limited and DOP-enriched natural waters.

Effect of Small-Scale Turbulence on the Physiology and Morphology of Two Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria.

The main goal of the present work is to test the hypothesis that small-scale turbulence affected physiological activities and the morphology of cyanobacteria in high turbulence environments. Using quantified turbulence in a stirring device, we conducted one set of experiments on cultures of two strains of cyanobacteria with different phenotypes; i.e., unicellular Microcystis flos-aquae and colonial Anabaena flos-aquae. The effect of small-scale turbulence examined varied from 0 to 8.01×10-2 m2s-3, covering the range of turbulence intensities experienced by cyanobacteria in the field. The results of photosynthesis activity and the cellular chlorophyll a in both strains did not change significantly among the turbulence levels, indicating that the potential indirect effects of a light regime under the gradient of turbulent mixing could be ignored. However, the experiments demonstrated that small-scale turbulence significantly modulated algal nutrient uptake and growth in comparison to the stagnant control. Cellular N and C of the two stains showed approximately the same responses, resulting in a similar pattern of C/N ratios. Moreover, the change in the phosphate uptake rate was similar to that of growth in two strains, which implied that growth characteristic responses to turbulence may be dependent on the P strategy, which was correlated with accumulation of polyphosphate. Additionally, our results also showed the filament length of A. flos-aquae decreased in response to high turbulence, which could favor enhancement of the nutrient uptake. These findings suggested that both M. flos-aquae and A. flos-aquae adjust their growth rates in response to turbulence levels in the ways of asynchronous cellular stoichiometry of C, N, and P, especially the phosphorus strategy, to improve the nutrient application efficiency. The fact that adaptation strategies of cyanobacteria diversely to turbulence depending on their physiological conditions presents a good example to understand the direct cause-effect relationship between hydrodynamic forces and algae.

[Nutrients Recovery on the Growth of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Starved Microcystis aeruginosa].

Microcystis in natural water bodies may frequently go through periods of nutrient limitation and then may recover when the limited nutrient becomes available. We investigated changes in cell physiology and expression of photosynthesis-related genes during the recovery of Microcystis aeruginosa from nitrogen starvation and phosphorus starvation with the method of 14C isotope and fluorescent quantitative PCR. Our results suggested that Microcystis cells relieved from N starvation and P starvation resumed growth within 24 h and displayed significantly higher growth rates than not-starved-cells in the first 48 h. Carbon production rates and the expression levels of photosynthesis-related genes all increased rapidly after relieving from N starvation and P starvation in different degrees, enabling the rapid recovery from nutrient starvation. However, N-starved cells can not resume their cellular activity to full capacity when N became available and the damage of N deficiency to M. aeruginosa was unrecoverable, whereas cellular activity of P-starved cells could recover to normal properties.

[Effects of Litchi chinensis Defoliation on Growth and Photosynthesis of Microcystis aeruginosa].

The growth and physiology of bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa were determined by the pulse amplitude modulated fluorimetry when exposed to different concentrations of Litchi chinensis defoliation extract for 15 d. The growth, maximal efficiency (Fv/Fm), effective quantum yield (YII) of PSII photochemistry, photosynthesis efficiency (α) , maximum electron transport rate (rETRmax) and light saturation coefficient (Ik) were used to evaluate the growth and photosynthesis in M. aeruginosa. It was found that the extract of L. chinensis defoliation stored for 5 days significantly inhibited the growth of M. aeruginosa in a concentration-dependent way. After a long time of exposure, stimulation effect disappeared gradually. Fv/Fm fluorescence parameters, YII and alpha changed from negative correlation to positive correlation or kept positive correlation with the extract of L. chinensis defoliation, which might affect the photosynthesis of M. aeruginosa at early time or help the cyanobacterium to survive in the stress environment by improving the efficiency of light energy. Ik, rETRmax and the content of algal chlorophyll-a changed from negative to significant negative correlation with the extract. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed that the peak intensities of tryptophan and tyrosine fluorescence were only about one third in 2.0 g · L(-1) extract treatment when compared to the 1.2 g · L(-1) extract treatment on day 15. At the same time, the peak intensity of humic acid fluorescence was weaker than that on day 1. Further study showed that the EC50 of algal growth was smaller than that of the traditional crops straw, which might achieve good effect to control the growth of algae with lower concentration of L. chinensis defoliation extract due to its strong allelopathy.

Microcystin production and regulation under nutrient stress conditions in toxic microcystis strains.

Microcystin is a common and well-known cyanobacterial toxin whose intracellular role is still under investigation. Increasing knowledge on microcystin gene expression and regulation can contribute to the understanding of its putative cellular function. In this work, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to investigate the transcriptional response of the mcyD gene to nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) and phosphorus limitation in two toxic Microcystis strains. The existence of a direct correlation between transcripts of mcyD and ntcA genes was also identified. In previous studies, NtcA (global nitrogen regulator) has been described as a potential component in the control of microcystin biosynthesis. This research showed that stress agents linked to nutrient deprivation could lead to a significant increase of microcystin production in both strains studied. The more toxic strain proved to be more resistant to nutrient limitation. The similar outcomes of mcyD regulation observed for all nutrients suggest that this response can be linked to oxidative stress of cells undergoing adverse growth conditions.

[Impacts of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms stress on the growth characteristics, microcystins and nutrients release of Microcystis aeruginosa].

Due to the large-scale application of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms on the bioremediation of eutrophic lake in China, the influence of growth, physiological characteristics, microcystins production and release of M. aeruginosa by E. crassipes was investigated. Meanwhile, the release risk of nutrients from M. aeruginosa and the accumulation risk of microcystins in E. crassipe were explored through semi-continuous co-existence experiments. Our results indicated that M. aeruginosa was promoted by E. crassipes to undergo the cell death. Under the stress of E. crassipes, direct damage of phycocyanin and phycocyanin/allophycocyanin ratio in M. aeruginosa occurred, while the photosystem II-Hill reaction in M. aeruginosa was not interrupted. The PC/APC levels in the treatment of 10% and 20% water exchange rate were respectively decreased to 54.93% +/- 7.07% and 55.81% +/- 1.97% of the level in their relative controls after 8 days. Then, the final significant decrease of specific superoxide dismutase activity and the striking elevation of malondialdehyde content in M. aeruginosa could be the results of oxidative damage by E. crassipes. Algal malondialdehyde content in the treatment of 10% and 20% water exchange rate were respectively 2.95 +/- 0.074 and 2.22 +/- 0.086 times of the level in their relative controls on day 8. The release of nutrients from M. aeruginosa was accelerated because the decay and lysis of algal cells were promoted by E. crassipes. After 12-day co-existence experiments, the concentration of total dissolved nitrogen in water was brought back to the initial level and the release of total dissolved phosphorus was faster than nitrogen nutrients under the stress of E. crassipes. In addition, the microcystins production in M. aeruginosa was not stimulated and the extracellular microcystins were significantly eliminated by the influence of E. crassipes. The extracellular microcystins contents in the treatment of 10% and 20% water exchange rate were respectively decreased to 12.07 microg x L(-1) +/- 0.63 microg x L(-1) and 11.36 microg x L(-1) +/- 0.04 microg x L(-1) after 12 days. But the microcystins level in the whole plants of E. crassipes co-cultured with M. aeruginosa for 12 days was only about 5.95 ng x g(-1) +/- 0.76 ng x g(-1) FW. The increase of water exchange rate could reduce the damage of M. aeruginosa by E. crassipes, but had no significant effect on the microcystins elimination.

The dynamics of toxic and nontoxic Microcystis during bloom in the large shallow lake, Lake Taihu, China.

Lake Taihu is a large shallow freshwater lake (surface area 2,338 km(2), mean depth 1.9 m) in China, which has experienced toxic cyanobacterial bloom dominated by Microcystis annually during the last few decades. In the present study, the dynamics of toxic and nontoxic Microcystis in three sampling stations (Meiliang Bay (site N2), Gonghu Bay (site N4), and the lake center area (site S4)) were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) during bloom periods from April to September, 2010. Our data showed that the abundance of toxic Microcystis and the toxic proportion gradually increased from April to August in water samples and reached the peak in August. During the study period, toxic Microcystis genotypes comprised between 26.2 and 64.3, between 4.4 and 22.1, and between 10.4 and 20.6 % of the total Microcystis populations in the three sampling sites, respectively. Correlation analysis suggested that there was a strong positive relationship between total Microcystis, toxic Microcystis and the toxic proportion. Chlorophyll a, total phosphorus, and water temperature were positively correlated with the abundances of total Microcystis and toxic Microcystis. Furthermore, the toxic proportion was positively correlated with total phosphorus (P < 0.05) and water temperature (P < 0.01), showing that global warming together with eutrophication could promote more frequent toxic blooms.

Allelopathic effects of the extracts from an invasive species Solidago canadensis L. on Microcystis aeruginosa.

This study investigated allelopathic effects of Solidago canadensis L. on Microcystis aeruginosa. The results showed that S. canadensis L. extracts could significantly inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa. The inhibition ratios of samples with 0·3 and 0·5 g l(-1) extracts were over 90% after 7 days, and the transmission electron microscopy images showed the damage of M. aeruginosa cells during the incubation. In physiological and biochemical measurements, the membrane permeability and malondialdehyde (MDA) content rapidly increased with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the content of antioxidant molecules (ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH)) increased. Although the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT)) increased at low extracts concentrations, the effects were inhibitory when the extracts concentration increased. In conclusion, this study provided a new idea to utilize the detrimental weed S. canadensis L. to control harmful cyanobacteria. The alterations in physiology and biochemistry of M. aeruginosa cell were not in isolation, but with the stimulation of intracellular ROS that could play a fundamental role in inhibitory effects of S. canadensis L. extracts. It was inferred that terrestrial plants could have the same algistatic mechanisms as hydrophytes.

[Effects of the rice straw on Microcystis aeraginosa analyzed by different physiological parameters].

The growth and physiology of bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa were determined by the flow cytometry when exposed to rice straw extract for 15 d. The cell growth, cell integrity, mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and esterase activity were used to evaluate the physiological response in Microcystis aeruginosa. Rice straw extract stored for 5 days significantly inhibited the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa in a concentration-dependent way; Most of the algae cells (> 98%) remained complete membranes in all the concentration treatments; Compared with the control cultures, the rice straw induced both negative and positive effects on the esterase activity for each test within 4 days, while the inhibition exceeded the stimulation effect. After a 7 d exposure, only the inhibition effect was found. Neither the inhibited nor stimulated effects was observed after algae exposure from 10 d to 15 d. Evident changes was found in the membrane potential during 7 d experiment, whereas inhibition effect became weaker after 10 d and 15 d exposure, in consistent with the result of esterase activity. These results confirmed that the rice straw extract might provide both dominant inhibition and relatively weak stimulation effects. After a long time exposure, inhibition effect became limited while stimulation effect disappeared. The action of rice straw may be algistatic (preventing algal growth) but not algicidal (killing algae).

Physiological and biochemical responses of Microcystis aeruginosa to glyphosate and its Roundup® formulation.

Glyphosate may have dual effect on bloom algae as a phosphorus source or pesticide. The physiological and biochemical responses of Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) to glyphosate and its formulation in the common herbicide, Roundup(®), were compared. The result suggested that both the cell numbers and Chl-a content of M. aeruginosa increased when the glyphosate concentration increased from 0.01 to 5mg P L(-1). However, Roundup(®) showed low-dose (below 1mg P L(-1)) stimulation and high-dose (above 1mg P L(-1)) inhibition on M. aeruginosa cell density and Chl-a content (hormesis effect). Phosphate was more available than glyphosate or Roundup(®), and Roundup(®) was more toxic than glyphosate itself at 3mg P L(-1). Analysis of the maximum yield of PSII indicated that glyphosate stimulated the photosynthesis process while Roundup(®) inhibited the photosynthesis of M. aeruginosa. The photosynthesis process was enhanced on the 21st day compared with that on the 14th day in all P mediums. The extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) decreased with the increasing glyphosate or Roundup(®) concentration. The change pattern of APA was similar in both the glyphosate and Roundup(®) mediums.