The Biosynthesis of Rare Homo-Amino Acid Containing Variants of Microcystin by a Benthic Cyanobacterium.

Microcystins are a family of chemically diverse hepatotoxins produced by distantly related cyanobacteria and are potent inhibitors of eukaryotic protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. Here we provide evidence for the biosynthesis of rare variants of microcystin that contain a selection of homo-amino acids by the benthic strain Phormidium sp. LP904c. This strain produces at least 16 microcystin chemical variants many of which contain homophenylalanine or homotyrosine. We retrieved the complete 54.2 kb microcystin (mcy) gene cluster from a draft genome assembly. Analysis of the substrate specificity of McyB1 and McyC adenylation domain binding pockets revealed divergent substrate specificity sequences, which could explain the activation of homo-amino acids which were present in 31% of the microcystins detected and included variants such as MC-LHty, MC-HphHty, MC-LHph and MC-HphHph. The mcy gene cluster did not encode enzymes for the synthesis of homo-amino acids but may instead activate homo-amino acids produced during the synthesis of anabaenopeptins. We observed the loss of microcystin during cultivation of a closely related strain, Phormidium sp. DVL1003c. This study increases the knowledge of benthic cyanobacterial strains that produce microcystin variants and broadens the structural diversity of known microcystins.

The Swinholide Biosynthesis Gene Cluster from a Terrestrial Cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. Strain UHCC 0450.

Swinholides are 42-carbon ring polyketides with a 2-fold axis of symmetry. They are potent cytotoxins that disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. Swinholides were discovered from the marine sponge Theonella sp. and were long suspected to be produced by symbiotic bacteria. Misakinolide, a structural variant of swinholide, was recently demonstrated to be the product of a symbiotic heterotrophic proteobacterium. Here, we report the production of swinholide A by an axenic strain of the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain UHCC 0450. We located the 85-kb trans-AT polyketide synthase (PKS) swinholide biosynthesis gene cluster from a draft genome of Nostoc sp. UHCC 0450. The swinholide and misakinolide biosynthesis gene clusters share an almost identical order of catalytic domains, with 85% nucleotide sequence identity, and they group together in phylogenetic analysis. Our results resolve speculation around the true producer of swinholides and demonstrate that bacteria belonging to two distantly related phyla both produce structural variants of the same natural product. In addition, we described a biosynthesis cluster from Anabaena sp. strain UHCC 0451 for the synthesis of the cytotoxic and antifungal scytophycin. All of these biosynthesis gene clusters were closely related to each other and created a group of cytotoxic macrolide compounds produced by trans-AT PKSs of cyanobacteria and proteobacteria.IMPORTANCE Many of the drugs in use today originate from natural products. New candidate compounds for drug development are needed due to increased drug resistance. An increased knowledge of the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds can be used to aid chemical synthesis to produce novel drugs. Here, we show that a terrestrial axenic culture of Nostoc cyanobacterium produces swinholides, which have been previously found only from marine sponge or samples related to them. Swinholides are polyketides with a 2-fold axis of symmetry, and they are potent cytotoxins that disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. We describe the biosynthesis gene clusters of swinholide from Nostoc cyanobacteria, as well as the related cytotoxic and antifungal scytophycin from Anabaena cyanobacteria, and we study the evolution of their trans-AT polyketide synthases. Interestingly, swinholide is closely related to misakinolide produced by a symbiotic heterotrophic proteobacterium, demonstrating that bacteria belonging to two distantly related phyla and different habitats can produce similar natural products.

Antifungal compounds from cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes found in a range of environments. They are infamous for the production of toxins, as well as bioactive compounds, which exhibit anticancer, antimicrobial and protease inhibition activities. Cyanobacteria produce a broad range of antifungals belonging to structural classes, such as peptides, polyketides and alkaloids. Here, we tested cyanobacteria from a wide variety of environments for antifungal activity. The potent antifungal macrolide scytophycin was detected in Anabaena sp. HAN21/1, Anabaena cf. cylindrica PH133, Nostoc sp. HAN11/1 and Scytonema sp. HAN3/2. To our knowledge, this is the first description of Anabaena strains that produce scytophycins. We detected antifungal glycolipopeptide hassallidin production in Anabaena spp. BIR JV1 and HAN7/1 and in Nostoc spp. 6sf Calc and CENA 219. These strains were isolated from brackish and freshwater samples collected in Brazil, the Czech Republic and Finland. In addition, three cyanobacterial strains, Fischerella sp. CENA 298, Scytonema hofmanni PCC 7110 and Nostoc sp. N107.3, produced unidentified antifungal compounds that warrant further characterization. Interestingly, all of the strains shown to produce antifungal compounds in this study belong to Nostocales or Stigonematales cyanobacterial orders.

Evaluation of the Novel CE-IVD-Marked Multiplex PCR QIAstat-Dx Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections such as meningitis and encephalitis are life-threatening conditions that demand hospital care and prompt identification of the causative agent. Since 2015, there has been only one CE-IVD-marked rapid multiplexed diagnostic assay in cassette format for bacterial and viral detection from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF): the BioFire FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panel. In the beginning of 2022, Qiagen introduced the QIAstat-Dx meningitis/encephalitis panel. It is a CE-IVD-marked multiplex PCR cassette test intended for the identification of suspected infectious meningitis, encephalitis, or meningoencephalitis caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal pathogens. In this study, we evaluated patient and quality control samples using the QIAstat-Dx meningitis/encephalitis panel and compared the results to those of the BioFire FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis panel and reference methods (current routine analysis methods in our laboratory, PCR, or cultivation). The combined positive percent agreement between the two panel assays was 100%, and the negative percent agreement was 94%. We further compared specifically herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) dilution series using six commercial herpesvirus assays, including the two cassette tests. The results suggested that real-time PCR methods (with separate extraction) were the most sensitive methods. When comparing the cassette tests, the BioFire FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis panel produced more positive results than the QIAstat-Dx meningitis/encephalitis panel in the herpesvirus analyses. IMPORTANCE The diagnosis of infectious meningitis and encephalitis relies mostly on specific PCR and culturing methods, but commercial syndromic panel assays are bringing a change in diagnostics. With multiplexed analysis, the identification of the pathogen is potentially faster, and less sample material is needed. The novel QIAstat-Dx meningitis/encephalitis panel assay is intended for the rapid identification of pathogens from cerebrospinal fluid for suspected central nervous system (CNS) infection, which is a life-threatening condition and difficult to diagnose. We studied the performance of this panel assay using patient samples and dilution series of selected viruses. The evaluation data for this novel meningitis/encephalitis panel assay are useful for other clinical laboratories and organizations using or considering using this test.

Characterization of the interaction of the antifungal and cytotoxic cyclic glycolipopeptide hassallidin with sterol-containing lipid membranes.

Hassallidins are cyclic glycolipopeptides produced by cyanobacteria and other prokaryotes. The hassallidin structure consists of a peptide ring of eight amino acids where a fatty acid chain, additional amino acids, and sugar moieties are attached. Hassallidins show antifungal activity against several opportunistic human pathogenic fungi, but does not harbor antibacterial effects. However, they have not been studied on mammalian cells, and the mechanism of action is unknown. We purified hassallidin D from cultured cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. UHCC 0258 and characterized its effect on mammalian and fungal cells. Ultrastructural analysis showed that hassallidin D disrupts cell membranes, causing a lytic/necrotic cell death with rapid presence of disintegrated outer membrane, accompanied by internalization of small molecules such as propidium iodide into the cells. Furthermore, artificial liposomal membrane assay showed that hassallidin D selectively targets sterol-containing membranes. Finally, in silico membrane modeling allowed us to study the interaction between hassallidin D and membranes in detail, and confirm the role of cholesterol for hassallidin-insertion into the membrane. This study demonstrates the mechanism of action of the natural compound hassallidin, and gives further insight into how bioactive lipopeptide metabolites selectively target eukaryotic cell membranes.

Rearranged Biosynthetic Gene Cluster and Synthesis of Hassallidin E in Planktothrix serta PCC 8927.

Cyanobacteria produce a wide range of natural products with antifungal bioactivity. The cyclic glycosylated lipopeptides of the hassallidin family have potent antifungal activity and display a great degree of chemical diversity. Here, we report the discovery of a hassallidin biosynthetic gene cluster from the filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix serta PCC 8927. The hassallidin gene cluster showed heavy rearrangement and marks of genomic plasticity. Nucleotide bias, differences in GC content, and phylogenetic incongruence suggested the acquisition of the hassallidin biosynthetic gene cluster in Planktothrix serta PCC 8927 by horizontal gene transfer. Chemical analyses by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry demonstrated that this strain produced hassallidin E, a new glycosylated hassallidin variant. Hassallidin E was the only structural variant produced by Planktothrix serta PCC 8927 in all tested conditions. Further evaluated on human pathogenic fungi, hassallidin E showed an antifungal bioactivity. Hassallidin production levels correlated with nitrogen availability, in the only nitrogen-fixing Planktothrix described so far. Our results provide insights into the distribution and chemical diversity of cyanobacterial antifungal compounds as well as raise questions on their ecological relevance.

Cyanobacteria as a Source for Novel Anti-Leukemic Compounds.

Cyanobacteria are an inspiring source of bioactive secondary metabolites. These bioactive agents are a diverse group of compounds which are varying in their bioactive targets, the mechanisms of action, and chemical structures. Cyanobacteria from various environments, especially marine benthic cyanobacteria, are found to be rich sources for the search for novel bioactive compounds. Several compounds with anticancer activities have been discovered from cyanobacteria and some of these have succeeded to enter the clinical trials. Varying anticancer agents are needed to overcome increasing challenges in cancer treatments. Different search methods are used to reveal anticancer compounds from natural products, but cell based methods are the most common. Cyanobacterial bioactive compounds as agents against acute myeloid leukemia are not well studied. Here we examined our new results combined with previous studies of anti-leukemic compounds from cyanobacteria with emphasis to reveal common features in strains producing such activity. We report that cyanobacteria harbor specific anti-leukemic compounds since several studied strains induced apoptosis against AML cells but were inactive against non-malignant cells like hepatocytes. We noted that particularly benthic strains from the Baltic Sea, such as Anabaena sp., were especially potential AML apoptosis inducers. Taken together, this review and re-analysis of data demonstrates the power of maintaining large culture collections for the search for novel bioactivities, and also how anti-AML activity in cyanobacteria can be revealed by relatively simple and low-cost assays.