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Fraga M, Churro C, Leão-Martins J, Rudnitskaya A, Botelho MJ. Cyanotoxins on the move - Freshwater origins with marine consequences: A systematic review of global changes and emerging trends. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2025; 216:118017. [PMID: 40279773 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2025] [Revised: 04/16/2025] [Accepted: 04/16/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025]
Abstract
The increasing occurrence of toxic freshwater cyanobacteria blooms in marine or brackish waters, coupled with elevated cyanotoxin concentrations in marine life, poses an emerging threat to human health. These events are often associated with temperature, salinity and the eutrophication of affected areas, however global changes causing extreme events can cause rapid shifts in their dynamics and subsequent propagation. This systematic review presents reports from 2010 to 2024 where the main objectives were to describe (i) worldwide occurrence of freshwater cyanobacteria toxins in transitional waters; (ii) global changes and shifts in cyanobacteria dynamics and (iii) patterns of the cyanotoxins microcystins, nodularins, saxitoxins, cylindrospermopsin and anatoxins in marine organisms. PRISMA ("Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses") protocol was used, and literature search was done using two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) to summarise the research outcomes. The higher number of events was reported in the USA (west coast and east coast), followed by the Baltic Sea. Both Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe had experienced the severe impact of these events in coastal and brackish environments. Locations in South America, Africa and Asia have also been affected. Despite the lack of consensus for cyanotoxin guidelines, the highest values of the most common cyanotoxins accumulated in marine organisms were in bivalves (microcystins) and in fish (nodularins), with values largely exceeding the existing guideline of 51 μg cyanotoxins.kg-1 body weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Fraga
- Laboratory of Marine Biotoxins, Department of the Sea and Marine Resources, IPMA-Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal
| | - Catarina Churro
- Laboratory of Phytoplankton, Department of the Sea and Marine Resources, IPMA - Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal; Blue Biotechnology, Environment and Health, CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - José Leão-Martins
- Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vigo, University Campus of Vigo, As Lagoas Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Alisa Rudnitskaya
- CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Maria João Botelho
- Laboratory of Marine Biotoxins, Department of the Sea and Marine Resources, IPMA-Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal; Contaminant Pathways in Marine Environment, CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
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Ding C, Yang Y, Gao Z, Ding W, Ma J, Li X. Destruction of the intestinal microbiota and gut-liver axis homeostasis by microcystin-LR-induced inflammation in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2025; 295:118155. [PMID: 40215691 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2025] [Revised: 03/27/2025] [Accepted: 04/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/21/2025]
Abstract
Water eutrophication leads to the frequent occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms, which pose a serious threat to the health and survival of fish, the top consumer in freshwater ecosystems. The hepatotoxicity induced by microcystin-LR (MC-LR) has been well studied; however, its impact on the intestinal flora and the gut-liver axis has rarely been reported. This study aimed to investigate the harmful effects of acute oral (303.89 µg/kg.bw) and intraperitoneal (i.p., 101.3 µg/kg.bw) exposure to MC-LR on the intestine and liver and the gut-liver axis of common carp. The results showed that the transaminase activity and levels of proinflammatory factors increased significantly, and histological abnormalities were observed, indicating that MC-LR induced a hepatoenteric inflammatory response. The levels of gram-negative bacteria increased, but the expression levels of bile acid (BA)-related genes (cyp7a1, cyp8b1, cyp27a1, and fxr) and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content decreased as the LPS level increased. These results suggest that MC-LR exposure induces liver inflammation and impairs BA synthesis, weakening intestinal defences and promoting LPS-related hepatic inflammation. Additionally, increased intestinal permeability and reduced SCFA synthesis can further compromise intestinal epithelium protection. The inflammation induced by MC-LR was significantly more severe in the liver than in the intestine, and the recovery of the liver was slower. This study enhances the understanding of the environmental risks posed by cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihong Ding
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Yanzhe Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Zhaolu Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Weikai Ding
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Aquatic Toxicology and Health Protection, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Junguo Ma
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Aquatic Toxicology and Health Protection, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China.
| | - Xiaoyu Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China.
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Villalobos T, Suárez-Isla B, Garcia C. Health and Environmental Impacts of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins from Freshwater to Seawater. Toxins (Basel) 2025; 17:126. [PMID: 40137899 PMCID: PMC11945519 DOI: 10.3390/toxins17030126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2025] [Accepted: 03/04/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are a natural phenomenon produced mainly by the interaction between natural and anthropogenic events. CyanoHABs are characterized by the production of cyanotoxins that can have harmful effects on different species within the food web and even affect human health. Among the most prevalent toxin groups worldwide are microcystins (MCs), anatoxins (ATXs), cylindrospermopsins (CYNs) and nodularins (NODs), which are characterized as toxins with hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, and cytotoxic effects. This review summarizes and analyzes research on the influence of cyanoHABs, the main toxin-producing cyanobacteria and the most prevalent cyanotoxins in freshwater and marine bodies, highlighting their global occurrence, toxicology, and bioaccumulation dynamics in vectors of the food web, and the main cases of acute and chronic intoxications in humans. This review is useful for understanding the dynamics of cyanoHABs' interaction with the ecosystem and their impact on human health, and how the implementation of a surveillance and management framework for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins could generate vital information for stakeholders to establish health guidelines on the risks and hazards of cyanoHABs for the ecosystem and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carlos Garcia
- Laboratory of Marine Toxins, Physiology and Biophysics Programme, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile; (T.V.); (B.S.-I.)
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de Oliveira MH, Verissimo MES, da Silva BC, Pessanha ALM. Plastic pollution on beaches in an Antillean manatee conservation area, Brazil. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 208:117062. [PMID: 39361991 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 09/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
The presence of plastic debris along shorelines is a widespread problem, and plastic debris can interact directly with marine wildlife. In northeast Brazil, the Antillean manatees are the most common marine mammals and use estuarine waters mainly as their home range. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of plastic debris on the estuarine-oceanic continuum and the accumulation density of plastic on beaches. The density of plastic debris on beaches located in transitional areas was 7-10-fold greater than that on beaches in estuarine and oceanic areas. Fragments were considered the most abundant form of plastic debris on all the beaches. Our findings could lead to improved pollution management in this marine protected area, principally due to the risks of remobilizing small plastic particles through tides and wind effects that scatter them in resting and feeding manatees areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário Herculano de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Avenida das Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
| | - Maria Eduarda Santana Verissimo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Avenida das Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
| | - Breno Carvalho da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Avenida das Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
| | - André Luiz Machado Pessanha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Avenida das Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
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5
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Jaegge AC, Lavergne BC, Stauffer BA. Widespread, low concentration microcystin detection in a subtropical Louisiana estuary. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 207:116843. [PMID: 39151330 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of hepatotoxic microcystins (MC) were investigated in the Atchafalaya-Vermilion Bay System (AVBS), a subtropical, river-dominated estuary in Louisiana. Along with environmental data, monthly particulate MC (pMC) samples were examined over a two-year period (2016-2018), and biweekly pMC and dissolved MC (dMC) samples were examined over a five-month period in 2020. Solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) samplers used to quantify time-integrated dMC concentrations were also deployed in 2020. Low, but detectable concentrations of pMC (≤0.033 μg L-1) and dMC (≤0.190 μg L-1) were found throughout the AVBS in 37.8 and 21.2 % of samples, respectively. Time integrative SPATT samplers detected dMC in nearly 100 % of the deployments, compared to dMC detections in 30.8 % of the discrete samples. This study documents widespread MC presence throughout the AVBS and while concentrations were low, knowledge gaps remain regarding the potential long-term impacts of sublethal MC exposure to estuarine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Jaegge
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 104 E University Ave, Lafayette, LA 70504, United States
| | - Bryce C Lavergne
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 104 E University Ave, Lafayette, LA 70504, United States
| | - Beth A Stauffer
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 104 E University Ave, Lafayette, LA 70504, United States.
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6
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Preece EP, Hartman R. Exploring factors that affect Microcystis abundance in the sacramento san joaquin delta. HARMFUL ALGAE 2024; 138:102682. [PMID: 39244225 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2024.102682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cHABs) are increasing in frequency, intensity and duration in estuaries worldwide. In the upper San Francisco Estuary, also known as the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta (Delta), cHABs have been a topic of concern over the past two decades. In response, managers are urgently working to understand the factors that drive cHABs and identify feasible management options to avert ecological and human health consequences. We used a six year data set to explore relationships between flow parameters, temperature, and Microcystis biovolume to determine the potential for managing large scale hydrodynamic conditions to address Delta cHABs. We also looked at the relationship between Microcystis biovolume and the low salinity zone to see if it could be used as a proxy for residence time, because residence time is positively related to cyanobacteria abundance. We found the low salinity zone is not a useful proxy for residence time in the area of the Delta that experiences the most severe cHABs. Our finding suggest that climatic conditions (i.e., temperature and water year type) have the greatest influence on Microcystis biovolume in the Delta, with higher biovolume during years with lower flow and higher temperatures. Further, there are interannual differences in Microcystis biovolume that cannot be fully explained by flow parameters or temperature, meaning other factors not included in our model may be involved. We conclude that management actions to increase flow may be ineffective at reducing Microcystis to desired levels if water temperatures remain high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P Preece
- California Department of Water Resources, 3500 Industrial Blvd, West Sacramento, CA 95691, USA.
| | - Rosemary Hartman
- California Department of Water Resources, 3500 Industrial Blvd, West Sacramento, CA 95691, USA
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Li X, Li L, Huang Y, Wu H, Sheng S, Jiang X, Chen X, Ostrovsky I. Upstream nitrogen availability determines the Microcystis salt tolerance and influences microcystins release in brackish water. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 252:121213. [PMID: 38306752 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of large Microcystis biomass in brackish waters is primarily caused by its downward transportation from the upstream freshwater lakes and reservoirs through rivers rather than due to in situ bloom formation. Factors that determine the survival of freshwater cyanobacteria in brackish waters have not been well investigated. Here, we studied the spatiotemporal variability of inorganic nitrogen in an upstream lake and conducted laboratory and in-situ experiments to assess the role of nitrogen availability on the salt tolerance of Microcystis and the release of microcystins. A series of field experiments were carried out during bloom seasons to evaluate the salt tolerance of natural Microcystis colonies. The salt tolerance threshold varied from 7 to 17 and showed a positive relationship with intracellular carbohydrate content and a negative relationship with nitrogen availability in water. In August when upstream nitrogen availability was lower, the Microcystis colonies could maintain their biomass even after a sudden increase in salinity from 4 to 10. Laboratory-cultivated Microcystis that accumulated higher carbohydrate content at lower nitrogen availability showed better cell survival at higher salinity. The sharp release of microcystins into the surrounding water occurred when salinity exceeded the salt tolerance threshold of the Microcystis. Thus, Microcystis with higher salt tolerance can accumulate more toxins in cells. The obtained results suggest that the cell survival and toxin concentration in brackish waters depend on the physiological properties of Microcystis formed in the upstream waters. Thus, the life history of Microcystis in upstream waters could have a significant impact on its salt tolerance in downstream brackish waters, where the ecological risk of the salt-tolerant Microcystis requires special and careful management in summer at low nitrogen availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlu Li
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lei Li
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yingying Huang
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
| | - Haipeng Wu
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shiwen Sheng
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xinran Jiang
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xuechu Chen
- Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Ilia Ostrovsky
- Yigal Allon Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Migdal 1495001, Israel
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Song G, Zhao Y, Lu J, Liu Z, Quan J, Zhu L. Effects of Astaxanthin on Growth Performance, Gut Structure, and Intestinal Microorganisms of Penaeus vannamei under Microcystin-LR Stress. Animals (Basel) 2023; 14:58. [PMID: 38200789 PMCID: PMC10778157 DOI: 10.3390/ani14010058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) are biologically active cycloheptapeptide compounds that are released by cyanobacteria during water blooms and are extensively found in aquatic ecosystems. The Penaeus vannamei is a significant species in global aquaculture. However, the high level of eutrophication in aquaculture water frequently leads to outbreaks of cyanobacterial blooms, posing a significant threat to its sustainable cultivation. Astaxanthin (AX) is commonly utilized in aquaculture for its physiological benefits, including promoting growth and enhancing immune function in cultured organisms. This study aimed to examine the protective effect of astaxanthin on P. vannamei exposed to microcystin-induced stress. The experiment consisted of three groups: one group was fed formulated feed containing MC (100 μg/kg), another group was fed formulated feed containing MC (100 μg/kg) + AX (100 mg/kg), and the third group was fed basic feed (control group). After 15 days of feeding, the specific growth rate (SGR) was significantly higher in the MCAX group (2.21% day-1) compared to the MC group (0.77% day-1), and there was no significant difference between the MCAX group (2.21% day-1) and the control group (2.24% day-1). Similarly, the percent of weight gain (PWG) was also significantly higher in the MCAX group (14.61%) compared to the MC group (13.44%) and the control group (16.64%). Compared to the control group, the epithelial cells in the MC group suffered severe damage and detachment from the basement membrane. However, in the MCAX group, although there was still a gap between the intestinal epithelial cells and the basement membrane, the overall intestinal morphology was slightly less impaired than it was in the MC group. The analysis of the intestinal microbiota revealed a significant disparity in the community composition (chao 1 and ACE) between the MC and MCAX groups. When comparing the various bacterial genera, the MC group exhibited an increase in Vibrio abundance, whereas the MCAX group showed a decrease in both Shewanella and Vibrio abundance. The results indicate that AX has a positive impact on the growth performance and resistance of P. vannamei against MC by regulating the composition of the intestinal microbiota. AX can be utilized to mitigate the detrimental effects of MC in aquaculture practices. This function could be attributed to the role of AX in preserving the structural integrity of the intestinal mucosa and regulating the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guolin Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; (Y.Z.); (J.L.); (Z.L.); (J.Q.); (L.Z.)
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Li B, Zhang X, Wu G, Qin B, Tefsen B, Wells M. Toxins from harmful algal blooms: How copper and iron render chalkophore a predictor of microcystin production. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 244:120490. [PMID: 37659180 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Research on harmful algal blooms has focused on macronutrients, yet recent research increasingly indicates that understanding micronutrient roles is also important in the development of effective environmental management interventions. Here, we report results on metallophore production from mesocosms amended with copper and iron (enzymatic co-factors in photosynthetic electron transport) to probe questions of how cyanobacteria navigate the divide between copper nutrition, copper toxicity, and issues with iron bioavailability. These experiments utilized Microcystis, Chlorella and Desmodesmus spp., in mono- and mixed-cultures in lake water from a large, hypereutrophic lake (Taihu, China). To initiate experiments, copper and iron amendments were added to mesocosms containing algae that had been acclimated to achieve a state of copper and iron limitation. Mesocosms were analyzed over time for a range of analytes including algal growth parameters, algal assemblage progression, copper/iron concentrations and biomolecule production of chalkophore, siderophore and total microcystins. Community Trajectory Analysis and other multivariate methods were used for analysis resulting in our findings: 1) Microcystis spp. manage copper/iron requirements though a dynamically phased behavior of chalkophore/siderophore production according to their copper and iron limitation status (chalkophore correlates with Cu concentration, R2 = 0.99, and siderophore correlates with the sum of Cu and Fe concentrations, R2 = 0.98). 2) A strong correlation was observed between the production of chalkophore and the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin (R2 = 0.76)-Chalkophore is a predictor of microcystin production. 3) Based on our results and literature, we posit that Microcystis spp. produces microcystin in response to copper/iron availability to manage photosystem productivity and effect an energy-saving status. Results from this work underscore the importance of micronutrients in influencing harmful algal bloom progression and represents a major advance in understanding the ecological function for the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin as a hallmark of micronutrient limitation stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boling Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Xiaokai Zhang
- Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, and School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Gongjie Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 7ZX, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Boqiang Qin
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Boris Tefsen
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Ronin Institute, 127 Haddon Place, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA.
| | - Mona Wells
- Ronin Institute, 127 Haddon Place, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA; Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, 78666, USA.
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Kruk C, Segura A, Piñeiro G, Baldassini P, Pérez-Becoña L, García-Rodríguez F, Perera G, Piccini C. Rise of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is promoted by agricultural intensification in the basin of a large subtropical river of South America. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1774-1790. [PMID: 36607161 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are globally increasing with negative effects on aquatic ecosystems, water use and human health. Blooms' main driving forces are eutrophication, dam construction, urban waste, replacement of natural vegetation with croplands and climate change and variability. The relative effects of each driver have not still been properly addressed, particularly in large river basins. Here, we performed a historical analysis of cyanobacterial abundance in a large and important ecosystem of South America (Uruguay river, ca 1900 km long, 365,000 km2 basin). We evaluated the interannual relationships between cyanobacterial abundance and land use change, river flow, urban sewage, temperature and precipitation from 1963 to the present. Our results indicated an exponential increase in cyanobacterial abundance during the last two decades, congruent with an increase in phosphorus concentration. A sharp shift in the cyanobacterial abundance rate of increase after the year 2000 was identified, resulting in abundance levels above public health alert since 2010. Path analyses showed a strong positive correlation between cyanobacteria and cropland area at the entire catchment level, while precipitation, temperature and water flow effects were negligible. Present results help to identify high nutrient input agricultural practices and nutrient enrichment as the main factors driving toxic bloom formation. These practices are already exerting severe effects on both aquatic ecosystems and human health and projections suggest these trends will be intensified in the future. To avoid further water degradation and health risk for future generations, a large-scale (transboundary) change in agricultural management towards agroecological practices will be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Kruk
- Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Udelar, Uruguay
- Media CURE, Udelar, Uruguay
- Lab. de Ecología Microbiana Acuática, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Gervasio Piñeiro
- LART-IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Sistemas Ambientales, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Baldassini
- LART-IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, INIA La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay
| | | | - Felipe García-Rodríguez
- Lab. de Ecología Microbiana Acuática, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Geociencias, CURE-Rocha, Rocha, Uruguay
- Programa de Pós-graduação en Oceanologia, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil
| | | | - Claudia Piccini
- Lab. de Ecología Microbiana Acuática, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Montevideo, Uruguay
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11
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Martínez de la Escalera G, Kruk C, Segura AM, Piccini C. Effect of hydrological modification on the potential toxicity of Microcystis aeruginosa complex in Salto Grande reservoir, Uruguay. HARMFUL ALGAE 2023; 123:102403. [PMID: 36894214 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
It is widely known that the environmental conditions caused by the construction of reservoirs favor the proliferation of toxic cyanobacteria and the formation of blooms due to the high residence time of the water, low turbidity, temperature regimes, among others. Microcystin-producing cyanobacteria such as those from the Microcystis aeruginosa complex (MAC) are the most frequently found organisms in reservoirs worldwide, being the role of the environment on microcystin production poorly understood. Here, we addressed the community dynamics and potential toxicity of MAC cyanobacteria in a subtropical reservoir (Salto Grande) located in the low Uruguay river. Samples were taken from five different sites (upstream, inside the reservoir and downstream) during contrasting seasons (summer and winter) to analyze: (i) the MAC community structure by amplicon sequencing of the phycocyanin gene spacer, (ii) the genotype diversity of microcystin-producing MAC by high resolution melting analysis of the mcyJ gene, and (iii) the abundance and mcy transcription activity of the microcystin-producing (toxic) fraction. We found that MAC diversity decreased from summer to winter but, despite the observed changes in MAC community structure, the abundance of toxic organisms and the transcription of mcy genes were always higher inside the reservoir, regardless of the season. Two different genotypes of toxic MAC were detected inside the reservoir, one associated with low water temperature (15 °C) and one thriving at high water temperature (31 °C). These findings indicate that the environmental conditions inside the reservoir reduce community diversity while promoting the proliferation of toxic genotypes that actively transcribe mcy genes, whose relative abundance will depend on the water temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carla Kruk
- Facultad de Ciencias, IECA, Universidad de la República, Uruguay; Departamento de Modelización Estadística de Datos e Inteligencia Artificial (MEDIA), CURE-Rocha, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Angel M Segura
- Departamento de Modelización Estadística de Datos e Inteligencia Artificial (MEDIA), CURE-Rocha, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Claudia Piccini
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montvideo, Uruguay.
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12
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Amadei Martínez L, Sabbe K, Dasseville R, Daveloose I, Verstraete T, D'hondt S, Azémar F, Sossou AC, Tackx M, Maris T, Meire P, Vyverman W. Long-term phytoplankton dynamics in the Zeeschelde estuary (Belgium) are driven by the interactive effects of de-eutrophication, altered hydrodynamics and extreme weather events. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160402. [PMID: 36427722 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We studied how changing human impacts affected phytoplankton dynamics in the freshwater and brackish tidal reaches of the Zeeschelde estuary (Belgium) between 2002 and 2018. Until the early 2000s, the Zeeschelde was heavily polluted due to high wastewater discharges. By 2008, water quality had improved, resulting in lower nutrient concentrations and higher oxygen levels. Since 2009, however, increased dredging activities resulted in altered hydrodynamics and increased suspended sediment concentration. The combined effects of these environmental changes were reflected in three marked transitions in phytoplankton community composition. Assemblages were dominated by Thalassiosirales and green algae (especially Scenedesmaceae) until 2003. The period 2003-2011 was characterized by the wax and wane of the centric diatoms Actinocyclus and Aulacoseira, while in the period 2012-2018 Thalassiosirales and Cyanobacteria became dominant, the latter mainly imported from the tributaries. Phytoplankton biomass increased sharply in 2003, after which there was a gradual decline until 2018. By 2018, the timing of the growing season had advanced with about one month compared to the start of the study, probably as a consequence of climate warming and intensified zooplankton grazing pressure. Our study shows that de-eutrophication (during the 2000s) and morphological interventions in the estuary (in the 2010s) were dominant drivers of phytoplankton dynamics but that the main shifts in community composition were triggered by extreme weather events, suggesting significant resistance of autochthonous communities to gradual changes in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz Amadei Martínez
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
| | - Koen Sabbe
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Renaat Dasseville
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Ilse Daveloose
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Tine Verstraete
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Sofie D'hondt
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Azémar
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Akoko Claudine Sossou
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Micky Tackx
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Tom Maris
- ECOSPHERE Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1C, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Patrick Meire
- ECOSPHERE Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1C, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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13
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Mary-Lauyé AL, González-Bergonzoni I, Gobel N, Somma A, Silva I, Lucas CM. Baseline assessment of the hydrological network and land use in riparian buffers of Pampean streams of Uruguay. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:80. [PMID: 36342548 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10684-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The integrated assessment of stream networks and terrestrial land use contributes a critical foundation for understanding and mitigating potential impacts on stream ecology. Riparian zone delineation and management is a key component for regulating water quality, particularly in agricultural watersheds. We present a national assessment of riparian zone land uses according to stream order for the entire hydrological network in the Uruguayan landscape in Southeastern South America. We classified over 82,500 km of streams and rivers in Uruguay into seven Strahler order classes and delineated riparian buffers of 100 and 500 m, depending on stream order, covering a total of 13% of the terrestrial land area in Uruguay. Natural vegetation cover in riparian zones averaged 77% among basins, whereby natural grassland dominated first and second order stream buffers at 58% and 49%, respectively. This highlighted the importance of grasslands in headwater regions of the country. Riparian forests formed corridors along larger streams, representing a mere 9% of buffers in first order streams but reaching 46% of buffers of 6th order streams. Among the six major basins of Uruguay, we found differences in the relative importance of riparian forests and crop cover in headwater stream riparian zones, as well as differences in relative crop cover within riparian zones. Results show that streams in subtropical grassland landscapes originate in open grassland environments, which has major implications for thermal regimes, carbon inputs, and stream biodiversity. Riparian buffer management should consider geographic differences among different basins and ecoregions within Uruguay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lucía Mary-Lauyé
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fluvial, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Universidad de La República, Km 363, Ruta 3, 6000, Paysandú, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Iván González-Bergonzoni
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fluvial, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Universidad de La República, Km 363, Ruta 3, 6000, Paysandú, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Noelia Gobel
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fluvial, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Universidad de La República, Km 363, Ruta 3, 6000, Paysandú, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Andrea Somma
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fluvial, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Universidad de La República, Km 363, Ruta 3, 6000, Paysandú, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Ivana Silva
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fluvial, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Universidad de La República, Km 363, Ruta 3, 6000, Paysandú, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - Christine M Lucas
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fluvial, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Universidad de La República, Km 363, Ruta 3, 6000, Paysandú, Paysandú, Uruguay.
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14
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Wu Y, Yang G, Xu L, Yu R, Huang X, Qiu W, Guo Y. Effects of zinc and iron on the abundance of Microcystis in Lake Taihu under green light and turbulence conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:37791-37803. [PMID: 35067881 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18089-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Trace element is one of the important factors affecting the growth of Microcystis. The effects of zinc (0.4 mg/L) and iron (2 mg/L) on the abundance of Microcystis in Lake Taihu were investigated under continuous turbulence and green light conditions in a microcosm experiment. The study results showed that the abundance of Microcystis in the zinc treatment and the iron treatment group was 8.30% and 214% of that in the control group at the end of the experiment, respectively. The proportion of Cyanobacteria in the total phytoplankton biomass in the control, iron treatment, and zinc treatment group decreased from 99.99% at the beginning of the experiment to 13%, 18%, and 1% at the end of the experiment, respectively. At the end of the microcosm experiment, the phytoplankton community was dominated by Bacillariophyta in the control group, accounting for 63%, but it was dominated by Chlorophyta in the zinc treatment and the iron treatment group, accounting for 89% and 42%, respectively. The study results showed that under green light and turbulence, 0.4 mg/L zinc remarkably decreased the abundance of Microcystis, but 2 mg/L iron effectively increased the number of Microcystis and other algae. This research results provided a new idea for controlling Microcystis blooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunrui Wu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guijun Yang
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| | - Lei Xu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Ruipeng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaofeng Huang
- Wuxi Taihu Lake Restoration Co., Ltd, Wuxi, 214062, China
| | - Weijian Qiu
- Wuxi Taihu Lake Restoration Co., Ltd, Wuxi, 214062, China
| | - Yun Guo
- Wuxi Taihu Lake Restoration Co., Ltd, Wuxi, 214062, China
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15
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Alcántara I, Somma A, Chalar G, Fabre A, Segura A, Achkar M, Arocena R, Aubriot L, Baladán C, Barrios M, Bonilla S, Burwood M, Calliari DL, Calvo C, Capurro L, Carballo C, Céspedes-Payret C, Conde D, Corrales N, Cremella B, Crisci C, Cuevas J, De Giacomi S, De León L, Delbene L, Díaz I, Fleitas V, González-Bergonzoni I, González-Madina L, González-Piana M, Goyenola G, Gutiérrez O, Haakonsson S, Iglesias C, Kruk C, Lacerot G, Langone J, Lepillanca F, Lucas C, Martigani F, Martínez de la Escalera G, Meerhoff M, Nogueira L, Olano H, Pacheco JP, Panario D, Piccini C, Quintans F, Teixeira de Mello F, Terradas L, Tesitore G, Vidal L, García-Rodríguez F. A reply to "Relevant factors in the eutrophication of the Uruguay River and the Río Negro". THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 818:151854. [PMID: 34826482 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A recent paper by Beretta-Blanco and Carrasco-Letelier (2021) claims that agricultural eutrophication is not one of the main causes for cyanobacterial blooms in rivers and artificial reservoirs. By combining rivers of markedly different hydrological characteristics e.g., presence/absence and number of dams, river discharge and geological setting, the study speculates about the role of nutrients for modulating phytoplankton chlorophyll-a. Here, we identified serious flaws, from erratic and inaccurate data manipulation. The study did not define how erroneous original dataset values were treated, how the variables below the detection/quantification limit were numerically introduced, lack of mandatory variables for river studies such as flow and rainfall, arbitrary removal of pH > 7.5 values (which were not outliers), and finally how extreme values of other environmental variables were included. In addition, we identified conceptual and procedural mistakes such as biased construction/evaluation of model prediction capability. The study trained the model using pooled data from a short restricted lotic section of the (large) Uruguay River and from both lotic and reservoir domains of the Negro River, but then tested predictability within the (small) Cuareim River. Besides these methodological considerations, the article shows misinterpretations of the statistical correlation of cause and effect neglecting basic limnological knowledge of the ecology of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and international research on land use effects on freshwater quality. The argument that pH is a predictor variable for HABs neglects overwhelming basic paradigms of carbon fluxes and change in pH because of primary productivity. As a result, the article introduces the notion that HABs formation are not related to agricultural land use and water residence time and generate a great risk for the management of surface waterbodies. This reply also emphasizes the need for good practices of open data management, especially for public databases in view of external reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Alcántara
- Ud. Bioestadística, Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A Somma
- Polo de Ecología Fluvial, CENUR Litoral Norte sede Paysandú, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay; Unidad Usinas de Montevideo, Área Tratamiento - Obras Sanitarias del Estado, Aguas Corrientes, Canelones, Uruguay
| | - G Chalar
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A Fabre
- ITR Suroeste, Universidad Tecnológica, La Paz, Colonia, Uruguay
| | - A Segura
- Modelización y Análisis de Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | - M Achkar
- LDSGAT, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - R Arocena
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - L Aubriot
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Baladán
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - M Barrios
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - S Bonilla
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Burwood
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - D L Calliari
- Sección Oceanografía y Ecología Marina, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Calvo
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - L Capurro
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Carballo
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Céspedes-Payret
- UNCIEP, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - D Conde
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - N Corrales
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - B Cremella
- Laboratory of Environmental Analysis, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - C Crisci
- Modelización y Análisis de Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | - J Cuevas
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - S De Giacomi
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - L De León
- Ministerio de Ambiente - Dirección Nacional de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental, Uruguay
| | - L Delbene
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - I Díaz
- LDSGAT, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - V Fleitas
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - I González-Bergonzoni
- Polo de Ecología Fluvial, CENUR Litoral Norte sede Paysandú, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - L González-Madina
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay; Unidad Usinas de Montevideo, Área Tratamiento - Obras Sanitarias del Estado, Aguas Corrientes, Canelones, Uruguay
| | - M González-Piana
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - G Goyenola
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - O Gutiérrez
- UNCIEP, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - S Haakonsson
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Iglesias
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - C Kruk
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay; Modelización y Análisis de Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | - G Lacerot
- Ecología Funcional de Sistemas Acuáticos, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - J Langone
- Unidad Usinas de Montevideo, Área Tratamiento - Obras Sanitarias del Estado, Aguas Corrientes, Canelones, Uruguay
| | - F Lepillanca
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Lucas
- Polo de Ecología Fluvial, CENUR Litoral Norte sede Paysandú, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay
| | - F Martigani
- Área Hidrobiología, Gerencia de Gestión de Laboratorios, OSE, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - G Martínez de la Escalera
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Meerhoff
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay; Department of Biosciences, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - L Nogueira
- Unidad Usinas de Montevideo, Área Tratamiento - Obras Sanitarias del Estado, Aguas Corrientes, Canelones, Uruguay
| | - H Olano
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - J P Pacheco
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - D Panario
- UNCIEP, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Piccini
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - F Quintans
- Sección Limnología, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - F Teixeira de Mello
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - L Terradas
- UNCIEP, IECA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - G Tesitore
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - L Vidal
- Área Hidrobiología, Gerencia de Gestión de Laboratorios, OSE, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - F García-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Geociencias, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay; Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil.
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Yang Q, Liu Y, Wang L, Zhou Q, Cheng M, Zhou J, Huang X. Cerium exposure in Lake Taihu water aggravates microcystin pollution via enhancing endocytosis of Microcystis aeruginosa. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 292:118308. [PMID: 34626705 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Aggravating the pollution of microcystins (MCs) in freshwater environments is detrimental to aquatic living organisms and humans, and thus threatens the stability of ecosystems. Some environmental factors have been verified to promote the production of MCs in Microcystis aeruginosa, thereby aggravating the pollution of MCs. However, the effects of cerium (Ce), the most abundant rare earth element in global water environments, on the production of MCs in M. aeruginosa are unknown. Here, Lake Taihu water was selected as a representative of freshwater environments. By using interdisciplinary methods, it was found that: (1) the exposure level of Ce [Ce(III) and Ce(IV)] in Lake Taihu water is in the range of 0.271-0.282 μg/L; (2) Ce exposure in Lake Taihu water promoted the contents of three main MCs (MC-LR, MC-LW and MC-YR) in M. aeruginosa and water; (3) a cellular mechanism of Ce promoting the production of MCs in M. aeruginosa in Lake Taihu water was suggested: Ce enhanced endocytosis in cells of M. aeruginosa to promote the essential element uptake by M. aeruginosa for MC synthesis. Thus, Ce exposure in Lake Taihu water aggravates the pollution of MCs via enhancing endocytosis in cells of M. aeruginosa. The results provide reference for assessing the environmental risk of Ce in water environments, investigating the mechanism of the pollution of MCs induced by environmental factors, and developing strategies aimed at preventing and controlling the pollution of MCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yongqiang Liu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lihong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Jiangsu Cooperative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Materials, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Mengzhu Cheng
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, And Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Jiahong Zhou
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiaohua Huang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Genotyping and multivariate regression trees reveal ecological diversification within the Microcystis aeruginosa complex along a wide environmental gradient. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0147521. [PMID: 34818109 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01475-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Addressing the ecological and evolutionary processes underlying biodiversity patterns is essential to identify the mechanisms shaping community structure and function. In bacteria, the formation of new ecologically distinct populations (ecotypes) is proposed as one of the main drivers of diversification. New ecotypes arise when mutations in key functional genes or acquisition of new metabolic pathways by horizontal gene transfer allow the population to exploit new resources, permitting their coexistence with the parental population. We previously reported the presence of microcystin-producing organisms of the Microcystis aeruginosa complex (toxic MAC) through an 800 km environmental gradient ranging from freshwater to estuarine-marine waters in South America. We hypothesize that the success of toxic MAC in such a gradient is due to the existence of very closely related populations that are ecologically distinct (ecotypes), each specialized to a specific arrangement of environmental variables. Here, we analyzed toxic MAC genetic diversity through qPCR and high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) of a functional gene (mcyJ, microcystin synthetase cluster). We explored the variability of the mcyJ gene along the environmental gradient by multivariate classification and regression trees (mCART). Six groups of mcyJ genotypes were distinguished and associated with different combinations of water temperature, conductivity and turbidity. We propose that each mcyJ variant associated to a defined environmental condition is an ecotype (or species) whose relative abundances vary according to their fitness in the local environment. This mechanism would explain the success of toxic MAC in such a wide array of environmental conditions. Importance Organisms of the Microcystis aeruginosa Complex form harmful algal blooms (HABs) in nutrient-rich water bodies worldwide. MAC HABs are difficult to manage owing to the production of potent toxins (microcystins) that resist water treatment. Besides, the role of microcystins in the ecology of MAC organisms is still elusive, meaning that the environmental conditions driving the toxicity of the bloom are not clear. Furthermore, the lack of coherence between morphology-based and genomic-based species classification makes it difficult to draw sound conclusions about when and where each member species of the MAC will dominate the bloom. Here, we propose that the diversification process and success of toxic MAC in a wide range of waterbodies involves the generation of ecotypes, each specialized in a particular niche, whose relative abundance varies according to its fitness in the local environment. This knowledge can improve the generation of accurate prediction models of MAC growth and toxicity, helping to prevent human and animal intoxication.
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Effects of the Marine Biotoxins Okadaic Acid and Dinophysistoxins on Fish. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse9030293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Natural high proliferations of toxin-producing microorganisms in marine and freshwater environments result in dreadful consequences at the socioeconomically and environmental level due to water and seafood contamination. Monitoring programs and scientific evidence point to harmful algal blooms (HABs) increasing in frequency and intensity as a result of global climate alterations. Among marine toxins, the okadaic acid (OA) and the related dinophysistoxins (DTX) are the most frequently reported in EU waters, mainly in shellfish species. These toxins are responsible for human syndrome diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). Fish, like other marine species, are also exposed to HABs and their toxins. However, reduced attention has been given to exposure, accumulation, and effects on fish of DSP toxins, such as OA. The present review intends to summarize the current knowledge of the impact of DSP toxins and to identify the main issues needing further research. From data reviewed in this work, it is clear that exposure of fish to DSP toxins causes a range of negative effects, from behavioral and morphological alterations to death. However, there is still much to be investigated about the ecological and food safety risks related to contamination of fish with DSP toxins.
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