Effects of small water clusters on the growth and microcystin production of Microcystis aeruginosa

Abstract

Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB 905 was used as a model organism to study the effects of small water clusters (SWCs) on the growth and microcystin (MC) production of toxic cyanobacteria. The results showed that SWCs were able to stimulate the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa, which resulted in increased cell numbers and higher specific growth rates after a 30-d treatment. The cell morphology indicated that Microcystis aeruginosa was in a better state of growth, and it was more prone to divide in SWCs than in normal water clusters. The SWCs treatment up-regulated MC synthesis and exudation in 10 d in Microcystis aeruginosa, and the intra-cellular MC content decreased after the 20th day subsequently. Moreover, the cellular photosynthetic pigment contents were temporarily stimulated by SWCs. A possible reason is that SWCs stimulated the growth by promoting photosynthesis, whereas the increased MC production was relevant to pigment contents.