Spatial and Temporal Diversity of Cyanometabolites in the Eutrophic Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea)

Early and late cyanobacterial bloomers in a shallow, eutrophic lake

Cyanobacterial blooms present challenges for water treatment, especially in regions like the Canadian prairies where poor water quality intensifies water treatment issues. Buoyant cyanobacteria that resist sedimentation present a challenge as water treatment operators attempt to balance pre-treatment and toxic disinfection by-products. Here, we used microscopy to identify and describe the succession of cyanobacterial species in Buffalo Pound Lake, a key drinking water supply. We used indicator species analysis to identify temporal grouping structures throughout two sampling seasons from May to October 2018 and 2019. Our findings highlight two key cyanobacterial bloom phases - a mid-summer diazotrophic bloom of Dolichospermum spp. and an autumn Planktothrix agardhii bloom. Dolichospermum crassa and Woronichinia compacta served as indicators of the mid-summer and autumn bloom phases, respectively. Different cyanobacterial metabolites were associated with the distinct bloom phases in both years: toxic microcystins were associated with the mid-summer Dolichospermum bloom and some newly monitored cyanopeptides (anabaenopeptin A and B) with the autumn Planktothrix bloom. Despite forming a significant proportion of the autumn phytoplankton biomass (>60%), the Planktothrix bloom had previously not been detected by sensor or laboratory-derived chlorophyll-a. Our results demonstrate the power of targeted taxonomic identification of key species as a tool for managers of bloom-prone systems. Moreover, we describe an autumn Planktothrix agardhii bloom that has the potential to disrupt water treatment due to its evasion of detection. Our findings highlight the importance of identifying this autumn bloom given the expectation that warmer temperatures and a longer ice-free season will become the norm.

Characterization and Diversity of Microcystins Produced by Cyanobacteria from the Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea)

Microcystins (MCs) are the most widely distributed and structurally diverse cyanotoxins that can have significant health impacts on living organisms, including humans. The identification of MC variants and their quantification is very important for toxicological assessment. Within this study, we explored the diversity of MCs and their potential producers from the Curonian Lagoon. MC profiles were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method, while the potential producers were detected based on the presence of genus-specific mcyE gene sequences. Among the numerous MCs detected, one new potential MC variant with m/z 1057 was partially characterized. Moreover, two other MCs with m/z 1075 and m/z 1068 might belong to new variants with serine (Ser), rarely detected in position one of the peptides. They might also represent MC-Y(OMe)R and MC-WR, respectively. However, the application of a low-resolution MS/MS system made the unambiguous identification of the MCs impossible. Based on this example, the problems of peptide structure identification are discussed in the work. Genetic analysis revealed that potential MCs producers include Dolichospermum/Anabaena, Microcystis spp., and Planktothrix agardhii. The diversity and temporal variations in MC profiles may indicate the presence of several chemotypes of cyanobacteria in the Curonian Lagoon.

Phytoplankton of the Curonian Lagoon as a New Interesting Source for Bioactive Natural Products. Special Impact on Cyanobacterial Metabolites

The bioprospecting of marine and brackish water systems has increased during the last decades. In this respect, microalgae, including cyanobacteria, and their metabolites are one of the most widely explored resources. Most of the bioactive compounds are isolated from ex situ cultures of microorganisms; however, analysis of field samples could also supply valuable information about the metabolic and biotechnological potential of microalgae communities. In this work, the activity of phytoplankton samples from the Curonian Lagoon was studied. The samples were active against antibiotic resistant clinical and environmental bacterial strains as well as against serine proteases and T47D human breast adenocarcinoma cells. No significant effect was found on Daphnia magna. In addition, using LC-MS/MS, we documented the diversity of metabolites present in field samples. A list of 117 detected cyanopeptides was presented. Cyanopeptolins constituted the largest class of cyanopeptides. As complex bloom samples were analyzed, no link between the observed activity and a specific sample component can be established. However, the results of the study showed a biotechnological potential of natural products from the Curonian Lagoon.