• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.113-120
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• 2001

The production of microcystins from Microcystis aeruginosa was investigated in a P-limited continuous culture and a batch culture. The microcystin content of M aeruginosa was higher at a lower $\mu$, whereas the microcystin (MC)-producing rate was linearly proportional to $\mu$. The ratios of the MC-producing rate to the C-fixation rate were higher at a lower $\mu$. Consequently, increases in the microcystin content per dry weight along with the production of the more toxic form, MC-LR, were both observed under more P-limited conditions. The microcystin content of M. aeruginosa exhibited a high correlation with the total N content regardless of N-fixed or P-fixed culture. The microcystin concentration was investigated from spring to autumn in 1999 in the Daechung Reservoir, Korea. The dominant species in the algal blooming season was Microcystis. When the microcystin concentration exceeded about 100 ng $1^{-1}$ the ratio of particulate to dissolved total nitrogen (TN) or total phosphorus (TP) interestingly converged at a value of 0.6. The microcystin concentration was lower than 50 ng $1^{-1}$ at a particulate N:P ratio below 8, whereas the microcystin concentration varied quite substantially from 50 ng $1^{-1}$ to 250 ng $1^{-1}$ at a particulate N:P ratio> 8.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1304-1307
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• 2013

Growth of Microcystis aeruginosa could be inhibited significantly within 24 h by the extracellular substances prepared from Aeromonas sp. strain FM. During the treatment, the concentration of extracellular soluble carbohydrates increased significantly in algal culture. Morphological and ultrastructural changes in M. aeruginosa cells, including breakage of the cell surface, secretion of mucilage, and intracellular disorganization of thylakoids, were observed. HPLC-MS analysis showed that the extracellular substances of Aeromonas sp. strain FM were a mixture of free amino acids, tripeptides, and clavulanate. Among these, the algaelysis effects of lysine and clavulanate were confirmed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1208-1213
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• 2012

Microcystis aeruginosa is a cyanobacterium that can form harmful algal blooms (HABs) producing toxic secondary metabolites. We provide here draft genome information of four strains of this freshwater cyanobacterium that was obtained by the Next Generation Sequencing approach to provide a better understanding of molecular mechanisms at the physiological and ecological levels. After gene assembly, genes of each strain were identified and annotated, and a genome database and G-browser of M. aeruginosa were subsequently constructed. Such genome information resources will enable us to obtain useful information for molecular ecological studies with a better understanding of modulating mechanisms of environmental factors associated with blooming.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.118-125
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• 2012

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) play a key role in the cellular defense response to diverse environmental stresses. Here, the role of Hsp genes in the acquisition of thermotolerance in the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-298 was investigated. Twelve Hsp-related genes were examined to observe their modulated expression patterns at different temperatures (10, 15, 25, and $35^{\circ}C$) over different exposure periods. HspA and HtpG transcripts showed an up-regulation of expression at low temperatures (10 and $15^{\circ}C$) and high temperature ($35^{\circ}C$), compared with the control ($25^{\circ}C$). To examine their effects upon thermotolerance, we purified recombinant HspA and HtpG proteins. During a thermotolerance study at $54^{\circ}C$, the HspA-transformed bacteria showed increased thermotolerance compared with the control. HtpG also played a role in the defense response to acute heat stress within 30 min. These findings provide a better understanding of cellular protection mechanisms against heat stress in cyanobacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.260-266
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• 2013

Rhodococcus sp. strain p52, a previously isolated dibenzofuran degrader, could effectively inhibit the growth of cyanobacteria, including species of Microcystis, Anabaena, and Nodularia. When strain p52 was inoculated at the concentration of $7.7{\times}10^7$ CFU/ml, 93.5% of exponentially growing Microcystis aeruginosa ($7.3{\times}10^6$ cells/ml initially) was inhibited after 4 day. The threshold concentration for its algicidal activity against M. aeruginosa was $7.7{\times}10^6$ CFU/ml. Strain p52 exerted algicidal effect by synthesizing extracellular substances, which were identified as trans-3-indoleacrylic acid, DL-pipecolic acid, and L-pyroglutamic acid. The effective concentrations of trans-3-indoleacrylic acid and DL-pipecolic acid against M. aeruginosa were tested to be 0.5 mg/l and 5 mg/l, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2023

Harmful algae blooms have become a serious environmental problem in major river basins in Korea. They are known to produce various algal organic matters (AOMs) including intracellular organic matters (IOMs) and extracellular organic matters (EOMs). Generally AOMs cannot be easily removed by coagulation/flocculation process in conventional drinking water plants. AOMs produced by blue-green algae also include various toxins such as Microcystins, Anatoxin-a, and Saxitoxin known to have harmful effects on living organisms in aquatic environment. In this study, toxic effects of EOMs produced by three different algae species (Microcystis sp., Anabaena sp., and Oscillatoria sp.) on zebrafish were investigated using electroencephalography (EEG) recording method, a technology for recording brain activity. Electroencephalographic changes in zebrafish revealed that a low EOM had a negative effect on zebrafish compared to both Anabaena sp. and Oscillatoria sp. at 30 ppm EOM exposures. This result might be due to Microcystins present in EOMs produced by Microcystis sp. As a result of power spectrum density anallysis, exposure to EOMs produced by Microcystis sp. caused a state of vigilance in zebrafish. This EEG based toxicity test can be used to examine effects of harmful materials at low levels on living organisms in an aquatic system.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.46-56
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• 2018

A mcyB-specific Ultra-Rapid quantitative PCR was developed for the quantitative detection of Microcystis aeruginosa, which is often a dominant species in green tide. McyB-specific UR-qPCR was optimized under extremely short times of each step in thermal cycles, based on the specific primers deduced from the mcyB in microcystin synthetase of M. aeruginosa. The M. aeruginosa strain KG07 was used as a standard for quantification, after the microscopic counting and calculation by mcyB-specific UR-qPCR. The water samples from the river water with the Microcystis outbreak were also measured by using both methods. The $1.0{\times}10^8$ molecules of mcyB-specific DNA was recognized inner 4 minutes after beginning of UR-qPCR, while $1.0{\times}10^4$ molecules of mcyB-specific templates was detected inner 7 minutes with quantitative manner. From the range of $1.0{\times}10^2$ to $1.0{\times}10^8$ initial molecules, quantification was well established based on $C_T$ using mcyB-specific UR-qPCR (Regression coefficiency, $R^2=0.9977$). Between the numbers of M. aeruginosa cell counting under microscope and calculated numbers using mcyB-specific UR-qPCR, some differences were often found. The reasons for these differences were discussed; therefore, easy compensation method was proposed that was dependent on the numbers of the cell counting. Additionally, to easily extract the genomic DNA (gDNA) from the samples, a freeze-fracturing of water-sample using liquid nitrogen was tested, by excluding the conventional gDNA extraction method. It was also verified that there were no significant differences using the UR-qPCR with both gDNAs. In conclusion, the mcyB-specific UR-qPCR that we proposed would be expected to be a useful tool for rapid quantification and easy monitoring of M. aeruginosa in environmental water.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.294-302
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• 2007

This study was to evaluate microcystin production by Microcystis aeruginosa in response to three different levels of indirect (0, 10, 50% of fish cultured media filtrate; control, FCMF1 and FCMF2) exposures to omnivorous and planktivorous fish (Carassius gibelio langsdorfi and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, CCMF and HCMF, repectively). The cell biomass, intracellular microcystin (MC) and extracellular MC were measured everyday. The intracellular MC contents of all treatments were significantly increased than the controls (CCMF1, P=0.015; CCMF2, P<0.001; HCMF1, P<0.001; HCMF2, P<0.001). The intracellular MC contents of M. aeruginosa were significantly higher in CCMF2 than in CCMF1 (P=(0.023), Those of M, aeruginosa in HCMF2 were significantly higher than that in HCMF1 (P<0.001). The extracellular MC contents were not significantly different between control and CCMFs but those of M, aeruginosa in HCMF1 and HCMF2 were significantly higher than that in control (HCMF1, P=0.003; HCMF2, P<0.001). This study strongly supports that induced-defensive MC production (intra and extracellular MC) of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in response to kairomone concentration and this results can consider the biomanipulation of eutrophic waters as well as an information concerning strategies for recovering eutrophic waters.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1183-1189
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• 2011

The present study is aimed at examining the effects of the physico-chemical environmental factors of water systems on water bloom at Homin and Gagok reservoirs in Pungcheon-Myeon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The mean water temperature and the contents of chlorophyll-a, total-nitrogen, total-phosphorus and phosphate-phosphorus were higher at the Gagok reservoir. On the other hand, the pH mean value was higher at the Homin reservoir. The mean value of microelements (Na, K, Mg, Fe, Si) was higher at the Gagok reservoir. The cyanobacteria which was considered to be the cause of water bloom at the two reservoirs was Microcystis aeruginosa. It started to grow in May and showed the highest standing crop in August. Between the increase of standing crop of M. aeruginosa and the water quality, correlation values of $Na^+$ (r=-0.910, p<0.05), $Fe^{2+}$ (r=-0.855, p<0.05) and $Si^{4+}$ (r=0.989, p<0.01) at the Homin reservoir increased amount of standing crop. Meanwhile, at the Gagok reservoir, the contents of $Na^+$ (r=-0.776, p<0.05), $Si^{4+}$ (r=0.899, p<0.05) were highly related to the increase of standing crop. Interestingly, Si, which is the limiting factor for diatoms, has a high correlation with standing crop of cyanobacteria. In conclusion, the water blooming is caused not by a simple factor but a synergistic effect due to complex actions including high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus ions and many other environmental factors.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4 s.114
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• pp.475-481
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• 2005

In an effort to identify a new environment-friendly algicide, we examined the ability of extracts from the leaves and stems of nine Korean oak tree species to inhibit growth of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa. At a concentration of 100 mg $L^{-1}$, five of the oak tree extracts (QAT-L, QAT-5, QAS- L, QGI-5, and QSA- L) decreased the cell density of M. aeruginosa by over 90% for 7 days. At a concentration of 20 mg $L^{-1}$, the same five extracts inhibited the growth of M. aeruginosa by approximately 50%. The minimum concentration of oak tree extracts required for effective inhibition of M. aeruginosa (20 mg $L^{-1}$) is comparable to that of the known algicide, tannic acid (17 mg $L^{-1}$), which is thought to be one of the main active ingredients in the oak tree extract. These findings suggest that oak extracts may be useful as an environment-friendly algicide to control the bloomforming cyanobacterium, M. aeruginosa, in eutrophic waters.