Abstract
Nodularia spumigena is a bloom-forming diazotrophic cyanobacterium inhabiting brackish waters worldwide. This species produces non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs), including the hepatotoxin nodularin, often referred to as cyanotoxin. Several known classes of NRPs have various biological activities, although their modes of action are poorly understood. In the Baltic N. spumigena, there is a high NRP chemodiversity among strains, allowing their grouping in specific chemotypes and subgroups. Therefore, it is relevant to ask whether the NRP production is affected by intraspecific interactions between the co-existing strains. Using a novel approach that combines culture technique and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the NRP analysis, we examined N. spumigena strains under mono- and co-culture conditions. The test strains were selected to represent N. spumigena belonging to the same or different chemotype subgroups. In this setup, we observed physiological and metabolic responses in the test strains grown without cell contact. The changes in NRP levels to co-culture conditions were conserved within a chemotype subgroup but different between the subgroups. Our results suggest that intraspecific interactions may promote a chemical diversity in N. spumigena population, with higher NRP production compared to a single-strain population. Studying allelochemical signalling in this cyanobacterium is crucial for understanding toxicity mechanisms and plankton community interactions in the Baltic Sea and other aquatic systems experiencing regular blooms.
Highlights
Nodularia spumigena is a bloom-forming diazotrophic cyanobacterium inhabiting brackish waters worldwide
The intriguing question is whether the distribution, growth, photosynthesis, and non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) production in N. spumigena are regulated through intraspecific interactions
Comparing the fitness and NRP production between the strains that belong to various chemotype subgroups and are grown under monoculture and co-culture conditions can reveal whether the intraspecific interactions are in play
Summary
Nodularia spumigena is a bloom-forming diazotrophic cyanobacterium inhabiting brackish waters worldwide This species produces non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs), including the hepatotoxin nodularin, often referred to as cyanotoxin. Twenty five strains of N. spumigena isolated from the Baltic Sea were shown to have a high chemodiversity concerning the produced NRP variants and their s tructure[9]. Based on this diversity, Mazur-Marzec and co-workers classified these strains into two chemotype groups Comparing the fitness and NRP production between the strains that belong to various chemotype subgroups and are grown under monoculture and co-culture conditions can reveal whether the intraspecific interactions are in play. The observed responses to the co-culture conditions could improve our understanding of the NRP ecological functions and dynamics of cyanobacterial metabolites in the environment
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