Cell density-dependent oligopeptide production in cyanobacterial strains

Cyanobacteria can form blooms and in these situations they dominate the phytoplanktonic community, reaching extremely high densities. In the domain Bacteria, high population densities can stimulate a phenomenon known as quorum sensing, which may produce several modifications in the cell physiology. Very little is known about quorum sensing in Cyanobacteria. Because of their planktonic way of life, quorum sensing should be more evident during a bloom event. In this work, we tested whether cell density could shape the production of bioactive compounds produced by Cyanobacteria. The experiments consisted of two treatments, where cultures of Cyanobacteria were maintained at low and high cellular densities through a semi-continuous set-up. Analyses were performed by HPLC-PDA and MALDI-TOF MS. Seventeen peptides were detected and 14 identified, including microcystins, aeruginosins, cyanopeptolins and microviridins. The results showed that cellular density seems to have a significant effect on the peptides production. Most of the compounds had significantly higher cellular quotas in the higher-density treatment, although microviridins and an unknown peptide were produced only at low density. These results may hint at a possible role for quorum sensing in triggering the production of several cyanobacterial peptides.