Article
Environmental Sciences
Satoshi Numano, Yuta Kudo, Yuko Cho, Keiichi Konoki, Yoshimasa Kaga, Kazuo Nagasawa, Mari Yotsu-Yamashita
Summary: The study identified two new saxitoxin analogues, M5-HA and M6-HA, with M5-HA having a unique stereochemical structure different from saxitoxin. Acid hydrolysis of M5-HA produced M6-HA, and further analysis confirmed M1/M3/M5-HA as metabolites of C-toxins.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yan Zhou, Shenpan Li, Jianying Zhang, Jinzhou Zhang, Zhou Wang, Liubo Pan, Baiqiang Huang, Ke Huang, Xiao Chen, Qionghui Zhao, Tianjiu Jiang, Jianjun Liu
Summary: The study found a high detection rate of PSTs in certain shellfish samples from Shenzhen, mainly concentrated in spring and winter, with the highest levels in noble clam samples. Shenzhen residents are at a high risk of acute PSTs poisoning, but relatively low risk of chronic exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sarah C. Finch, Nicola G. Webb, Michael J. Boundy, D. Tim Harwood, John S. Munday, Jan M. Sprosen, Vanessa M. Cave, Ric B. Broadhurst, Jeane Nicolas
Summary: The study showed that intake of a certain shellfish toxin in mice did not have significant effects on multiple indicators, and the calculated safe dose for humans was much higher than the proposed value by the European Food Safety Authority. Therefore, the current regulatory limit for shellfish toxins seems appropriate.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Qin Weng, Ronghua Zhang, Pinggu Wu, Jiang Chen, Xiaodong Pan, Dong Zhao, Jikai Wang, Hexiang Zhang, Xiaojuan Qi, Xiaoli Wu, Junde Han, Biao Zhou
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in commercially available shellfish in Zhejiang Province, China. The results showed that the risk of PST intake among the general population of consumers was low, but young children may be at risk of exposure in extreme scenarios. Arcidae and mussels were identified as the major sources of exposure to toxins. From a public health perspective, commercially available shellfish with PSTs do not pose a serious health risk, but more attention should be paid to acute health risks, especially for young children, during periods of frequent red tides.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Natacha Jean, Luce Perie, Estelle Dumont, Lucie Bertheau, Thierry Balliau, Zouher Amzil, Mohamed Laabir, Estelle Masseret, Amandine M. N. Caruana
Summary: This study investigates the proteomic and physiological responses of Alexandrium pacificum strains to metal stresses. The findings highlight the adaptive proteomic and physiological responses of the strains to metal-contaminated ecosystems, which may contribute to their ecological success. Additionally, the study reveals a positive correlation between PST production and photosynthesis in the strains.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yasmine Even, Emilien Pousse, Coraline Chapperon, Sebastien Artigaud, Helene Hegaret, Benoit Bernay, Vianney Pichereau, Jonathan Flye-Sainte-Marie, Fred Jean
Summary: This study investigated the early response of juvenile king scallops to short-term exposure to toxic microalgae. The results showed that the scallops exhibited lower filtration and respiration rates and accumulated toxins during the exposure. There was also significant inter-individual variability in toxin accumulation potential. Furthermore, the ingestion of toxic algae was influenced by the recovery time from filtration inhibition and the filtration level. Proteomic analysis revealed changes in immune response and structural proteins in the mantle tissue of the exposed scallops.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sarah C. Finch, Nicola G. Webb, Michael J. Boundy, D. Tim Harwood, John S. Munday, Jan M. Sprosen, Chanatda Somchit, Ric B. Broadhurst
Summary: This study suggests that the previous trial may have been flawed and that the current regulatory limit for paralytic shellfish toxins is appropriate.
Article
Ecology
Lucia Solino, Neide Gouveia, Viriato Timoteo, Pedro Reis Costa
Summary: Pufferfish are some of the most poisonous marine organisms due to their ability to accumulate potent toxins. A study found toxic compounds in oceanic pufferfish, suggesting they acquire toxins through feeding or association with toxin-producing microbes, highlighting the need for further understanding of their toxicity and biology to prevent poisoning incidents.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chao Liu, Jiangbing Qiu, Zhixuan Tang, Hong Hu, Fanping Meng, Aifeng Li
Summary: The study found that high concentrations of microplastics significantly inhibited the growth of Alexandrium pacificum, while concentrations below 100 mg/L had no significant effect on cell toxin quota. Additionally, exposure to microplastics resulted in varying degrees of increase in chlorophyll a content and significant inhibition of photosynthetic activity.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Francisco Arimateia dos Santos Alves, Eliane Brabo de Sousa, Maira Pompeu Martins, Cassia Christina da Silva Rocha, Silvia Maria Mathes Faustino, Rosivaldo Alcantara Mendes, Marcelo de Oliveira Lima, Maria Paula Cruz Schneider
Summary: This study evaluated the presence of phycotoxins in oysters cultivated in five municipalities in the region of the Atlantic Amazon (Para, Brazil) and assessed the microalgae, water quality, and spatio-temporal variation of physicochemical factors in the same area. The study found the occurrence of the potentially toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis sp. in the Amazon region, and for the first time, detected toxins in oyster farming in the northeast of the State of Para, although the values were non-toxic, they still represent a potential threat to shellfish consumers.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Pablo Saldivia, Mauricio Hernandez, Adolfo Isla, Rocio Fritz, Daniel Varela, Jesus M. Gonzalez-Jartin, Jaime Figueroa, Luis M. Botana, Cristian Vargas, Alejandro J. Yanez
Summary: Dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium cause Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), which damage marine environments, aquaculture, and human health. They synthesize neurotoxic alkaloids known as PSTs, the etiological agents of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). Increased nitrogen concentrations enhance protein synthesis, photosynthesis, and energy metabolism but decrease the expression of enzymes involved in PST biosynthesis and production in toxigenic dinoflagellates.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sung Vo Duy, Gabriel Munoz, Quoc Tuc Dinh, Yanyan Zhang, Dana F. Simon, Sebastien Sauve
Summary: In this study, a fast and sensitive analytical method was optimized for the determination of paralytic shellfish poison saxitoxin and its analogues in surface waters. The method involved simple filtration, addition of internal standard, and analysis by online solid-phase extraction coupled to hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. The developed method showed good accuracy and precision in both laboratory validation and real sample analysis.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Erick J. Nunez-Vazquez, Carlos A. Poot-Delgado, Andrew D. Turner, Francisco E. Hernandez-Sandoval, Yuri B. Okolodkov, Leyberth J. Fernandez-Herrera, Jose J. Bustillos-Guzman
Summary: This study monitored the presence of lipophilic and hydrophilic toxins in eight marine sampling sites along the coast of the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Various water quality indicators and phytoplankton abundance were also examined. The analysis confirmed the presence of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in Pyrodinium bahamense, a dinoflagellate species, in Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico for the first time.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yadong Cao, Jiangbing Qiu, Aifeng Li, Lei Zhang, Guowang Yan, Ying Ji, Jingrui Zhang, Peng Zhao, Xizhen Wu
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao. Multiple PST components were detected in seawater, sediment, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and various marine organisms. All bivalve shellfish samples contained PSTs, posing a serious threat to human health.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Leyberth Jose Fernandez-Herrera, Christine Johanna Band-Schmidt, Tania Zenteno-Savin, Ignacio Leyva-Valencia, Claudia Judith Hernandez-Guerrero, Francisco Eduardo Hernandez-Sandoval, Jose Jesus Bustillos-Guzman
Summary: Allelopathy between phytoplankton organisms is promoted by the release of substances that limit the presence of dominating species. In this study, the allelopathic effects of Chattonella marina var. marina and Gymnodinium impudicum were evaluated on the toxic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum. Experiments showed that exposure to cell-free media of C. marina and G. impudicum resulted in growth limitation, increased cell volume, cell lysis, and increased concentration of paralytic shellfish toxins in G. catenatum. Differences in toxicity were observed between G. catenatum cells exposed to the filtrates of C. marina var. marina and G. impudicum and those in the control group. The study suggests that G. catenatum's survival strategy involves migration through the chemical cloud, encystment, and increased toxicity.
Article
Microbiology
Paul M. D'Agostino, Anna C. Y. Yeung, Anne Poljak, Trevor David Waite, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: This study compares the proteomic responses of different toxic and non-toxic strains of Raphidiopsis raciborskii under reduced iron concentrations, revealing that the toxic strain is more competitive during the exponential growth phase, while the non-toxic strain shows reduced protein expression in multiple primary metabolism pathways.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Patrick Jung, Paul M. D'Agostino, Burkhard Buedel, Michael Lakatos
Summary: Research on the cyanobacterial strain 'Fischerella ambigua 108b' unveiled new bioactive compounds and led to the classification of the strain as Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28 through a polyphasic approach. This newly classified strain sheds light on the bioactive metabolites of heterocytous and true-branching cyanobacteria, suggesting its placement into a separate genus.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Angela H. Soeriyadi, Sarah E. Ongley, Jan-Christoph Kehr, Russel Pickford, Elke Dittmann, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: The study found that the marine cyanobacterial nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) pathway is amenable for the biosynthesis of indolactam variants, with relaxed specificity observed in the native lyngbyatoxin pathway NRPS. Site-directed mutagenesis of the substrate-binding pocket resulted in altered substrate preference, showing relative congruence between in vitro substrate activation and in vivo product formation. Further research with alternative tailoring domains may reveal the true in vivo effects of the mutations introduced.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tamsyn J. Garby, Matthew Jordan, Verlaine Timms, Malcolm R. Walter, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: Microbial palaeontology relies on stable biomarkers for interpretation, and 2-methylhopanes can serve as a proxy for the presence of cyanobacteria, contributing to our understanding of the emergence of terrestrial life on Earth.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Michelle C. Moffitt, Johanna Wong-Bajracharya, Louise S. Shuey, Robert F. Park, Geoff S. Pegg, Jonathan M. Plett
Summary: In this study, untargeted metabolomics was used to explore the chemical defense profiles of different phenotypes within Melaleuca quinquenervia during the early stages of Austropuccinia psidii infection. The results identified different pools of secondary metabolites and provided an improved understanding of key pathways linked to rust resistance, particularly in Melaleuca. This study has significant implications for the management and conservation of Melaleuca species.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Suqin Wang, Leanne A. Pearson, Rabia Mazmouz, Tianzhe Liu, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: Iron availability limits the growth of many microorganisms, particularly those residing in high nutrient-low chlorophyll aquatic environments. Therefore, characterizing iron acquisition pathways in phytoplankton is essential for understanding nutrient cycling in our oceans.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Suong T. T. Nguyen, David P. Vardeh, Tiffanie M. Nelson, Leanne A. Pearson, Andrew S. Kinsela, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: This study investigates the bacterial communities in microbialite-forming mats in five South Australian lakes, revealing the important role of Cyanobacteria in carbonate precipitation. Although the mat communities differ across lakes, the metabolic pathways involved in carbonate precipitation are highly conserved. Additionally, stress response, quorum sensing, and circadian clock pathways are predicted to play important roles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul M. D'Agostino, Catharina J. Seel, Xiaoqi Ji, Tanja Gulder, Tobias A. M. Gulder
Summary: This study elucidates the biosynthetic process of furanolide assembly, providing insights into the function and mechanism of key enzymes. It expands the biocatalytic toolbox for gamma-butyrolactone formation and lays the foundation for targeted discovery and enzymatic synthesis of furanolides.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Angela M. Chilton, Suong T. T. Nguyen, Tiffanie M. Nelson, Leanne A. Pearson, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: This study provides the first detailed description of Australia's biocrust microbiome, revealing its distribution and correlation with climate factors. The dominant bacterial phyla are Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes. The composition of microbes differs between northern and southern regions, which is related to seasonal temperatures and summer rainfall.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Milena Stevanovic, Paul M. D'Agostino, Marija Mojicevic, Tobias A. M. Gulder, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Sandra Vojnovic
Summary: This study aimed to sequence and analyze the genomes of two co-isolated streptomycetes and investigate their co-cultivation effect on staurosporine production. The results showed that the addition of cell-free supernatant from one strain improved staurosporine production in the other strain, but creating artificial mixed cultures did not have the same effect. The study revealed complex relationships between streptomycetes in soil and highlighted the potential of genome mining for novel bioactive molecules.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Nadia Eusebio, Raquel Castelo-Branco, Diana Sousa, Marco Preto, Paul D'Agostino, Tobias A. M. Guider, Pedro N. Leao
Summary: A study discovered 12 new variants of microginins in a cyanobacterium, containing uncommon amino acids. Heterologous expression of the relevant biosynthetic gene cluster led to the production of several microginins, providing a pathway for accessing new variants through genome data or pathway engineering.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
T. J. T. Mills, T. M. Nelson, L. A. Pearson, B. A. Neilan
Summary: Bacteria in the guts of pollinating insects are crucial for nutrient acquisition, digestion, and resistance to pests and diseases. This study investigates the gut microbiome of the Australian native stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria, and the impact of colony transplantation on gut health. Although some differences were observed between bees from natural and manufactured hives, a core microbiome dominated by Lactobacillus spp., unclassified Acetobacteraceae spp., and Bombella spp. was maintained. The study suggests that hive transplantation has a limited negative impact on the overall health and resilience of the colony.
Article
Microbiology
V. J. Timms, K. A. Hassan, L. A. Pearson, B. A. Neilan
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, with predictions of 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Cyanobacteria have been found to be a potential reservoir for AMR genes, with these genes found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Xiaodan Ouyang, Paul M. D'Agostino, Matti Wahlsten, Endrews Delbaje, Jouni Jokela, Perttu Permi, Greta Gaiani, Antti Poso, Piia Bartos, Tobias A. M. Gulder, Hannu Koistinen, David P. Fewer
Summary: In this study, a comparative bioinformatic analysis was used to identify radiosumin biosynthetic gene clusters in the genomes of 13 filamentous cyanobacteria. The entire biosynthetic gene cluster was captured and expressed in Escherichia coli. High-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and chemical degradation analysis revealed the chemical structure of novel radiosumins produced by cyanobacteria. Radiosumin C was found to inhibit human trypsin isoforms selectively.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul M. D'Agostino
Summary: Cyanobacteria are known for their unique natural product scaffolds and play significant ecological roles in various symbiotic relationships. However, the lack of genomic data has limited the discovery of symbiotic cyanobacterial natural products, although recent advancements in (meta-)genomic sequencing have improved these efforts. This article highlights selected examples of symbiotic cyanobacterial-derived natural products and their biosynthetic pathways, as well as identifies gaps in knowledge regarding the formation of characteristic structural motifs. The continued rise of (meta-)genomic next-generation sequencing is expected to lead to exciting discoveries in the future.
NATURAL PRODUCT REPORTS
(2023)