Pollutants affect algae-bacteria interactions: A critical review.

Abstract

With increasing concerns on the ecological risks of pollutants, many efforts have been devoted to revealing the toxic effects of pollutants on algae or bacteria in their monocultures. However, how pollutants affect algae and bacteria in their cocultures is still elusive but crucial due to its more environmental relevance. The present review outlines the interactions between algae and bacteria, reveals the influential mechanisms of pollutants (including pesticides, metals, engineered nanomaterials, pharmaceutical and personal care products, and aromatic pollutants) to algae and bacteria in their coexisted systems, and puts forward prospects for further advancing toxic studies in algal-bacterial systems. Pollutants affect the physiological and ecological functions of bacteria and algae by interfering with their relationships. Cell-to-cell adhesion, substrate exchange and biodegradation of organic pollutants, enhancement of signal transduction, and horizontal transfer of tolerance genes are important defense strategies in algal-bacterial systems to cope with pollution stress. Developing suitable algal-bacterial models, identifying cross-kingdom signaling molecules, and deciphering the horizontal transfer of pollutant resistant genes between algae and bacteria under pollution stress are the way forward to fully exploit the risks of pollutants in natural aquatic environments.