The coupling between irradiance, growth, photosynthesis and prymnesin cell quota and production in two strains of the bloom-forming haptophyte, Prymnesium parvum

Prymnesium parvum causes harmful algal blooms worldwide that are often associated with massive fish-kills and subsequent economic losses. Most of our knowledge of the toxicity of P. parvum derives from bioassays since methods for the identification and quantification of their toxins have been lacking. Recently, a quantitation method was developed for the causative lytic toxins, the prymnesins. Here, we for the first time present data on the influence of irradiance on cellular content and production of prymnesins under nutrient replete conditions in two P. parvum strains, which both produce B-type prymnesins. Large differences were observed between the two strains with regard to the influence of irradiance on prymnesin cell quota and production rates. At the highest irradiance level (550 µmol photons m-2 s-1), the cellular prymnesin quota was thirty times higher in strain K-0081 strain than in K-0374. The cellular prymnesin quota and production rates were closely linked to rates of growth and photosynthesis in strain K-0081, while this was not the case for K-0374. Yet, growth rate did explain the differences in prymnesin quota in the two strains. Consequently, the maximum prymnesin production rate (414 attomol cell-1 d-1) was only about three times higher in strain K-0081 than in K-0374, and revealed an optimum at the same irradiance of 200 µmol photons m-2 s-1 in both strains. At low irradiance levels, the difference in production rates between both strains became smaller, with 41 and 49 attomol cell-1 d-1 for K-0081 and K-0374, respectively. The carbon content of prymnesins made up for ∼3% and <1% of the total cellular carbon content in strains K-0081 and K-0374, respectively. The fraction of extracellular dissolved prymnesins was measured for strain K-0081, where it accounted for 14-30% of total prymnesin concentration in the cultures, irrespective of irradiance. The concentrations of prymnesins released to the water by the K-0081 strain were not significantly influenced by irradiance. Overall, we observed comparable responses in growth and photosynthesis of both tested strains toward changes in irradiance. However, the effects of irradiance on prymnesin quota and production rates were remarkably different between the two strains.

Polyketide synthase genes and molecular trade-offs in the ichthyotoxic species Prymnesium parvum

Prymnesium parvum is a bloom forming haptophyte that has been responsible for numerous fish kill events across the world. The toxicity of P. parvum has been attributed to the production of large polyketide compounds, collectively called prymnesins, which based on their structure can be divided into A-, B- and C-type. The polyketide chemical nature of prymnesins indicates the potential involvement of polyketide synthases (PKSs) in their biosynthesis. However, little is known about the presence of PKSs in P. parvum as well as the potential molecular trade-offs of toxin biosynthesis. In the current study, we generated and analyzed the transcriptomes of nine P. parvum strains that produce different toxin types and have various cellular toxin contents. Numerous type I PKSs, ranging from 37 to 109, were found among the strains. Larger modular type I PKSs were mainly retrieved from strains with high cellular toxin levels and eight consensus transcripts were present in all nine strains. Gene expression variance analysis revealed potential molecular trade-offs associated with cellular toxin quantity, showing that basic metabolic processes seem to correlate negatively with cellular toxin content. These findings point towards the presence of metabolic costs for maintaining high cellular toxin quantity. The detailed analysis of PKSs in P. parvum is the first step towards better understanding the molecular basis of the biosynthesis of prymnesins and contributes to the development of molecular tools for efficient monitoring of future blooms.

Sunlight concurrently reduces Prymnesium parvum elicited acute toxicity to fish and prymnesins

Prymnesium parvum continues to spread globally, producing harmful algal blooms that release toxins known to cause fish kills. While previous work has identified possible P. parvum toxin(s) (e.g., prymnesins, fatty acids, fatty acid amides) and investigated treatment strategies targeted at minimizing cell abundance, studies examining efficacy of treatment approaches to remove toxins are lacking. To understand influences of sunlight on toxins stability and toxicity to fish, acutely toxic P. parvum cultures were exposed to three light scenarios (lab dark control, field dark, and field light) and then evaluated for acute toxicity to fish and prymnesins abundance. Previous work showed acute toxicity to fathead minnow larvae was ameliorated after 2 h of sunlight exposure, and results observed herein found an identical trend. Acute toxicity disappeared in light exposed filtrate, but filtrate exposed to 35 ^°C without sunlight remained acutely toxic to fish. Additionally, six prymnesins were identified through high-resolution mass spectrometry and abundance corresponded to acute toxicity levels. Prymnesins were present at the highest level in filtrate that was acutely toxic but diminished in filtrate that was exposed to light and correspondingly ameliorated acute toxicity to fish. These findings suggest prymnesins are responsible for measured acute toxicity and are photo-labile, which represents an important implication for treatment strategies.

Synthesis of glyceryl glycosides related to A-type prymnesin toxins

A suite of glycosylated glycerol derivatives representing various fragments of the glycosylated ichthyotoxins called prymnesins were chemically synthesised. Glycerol was used to represent a small fragment of the prymnesin backbone, and was glycosylated at the 2° position with the sugars currently reported to be present on prymnesin toxins. Neighbouring group participation was utilised to synthesise 1,2-trans-glycosides. SnCl2-promoted glycosylation with furanosyl fluorides gave 1,2-cis-furanosides with moderate stereocontrol, whilst TMSOTf promoted glycosylation with a furanosyl imidate gave a 1,2-cis-furanoside with good stereocontrol. The chemical synthesis of two larger glyceryl diglycoside fragments of prymnesin-1, glycosylated with α-ʟ-arabinopyranose and α-ᴅ-ribofuranose, is also described. As the stereochemistry of the prymnesin backbones at this region is undefined, both the 2R- and 2S- glycerol isomers were synthesised. The separated diastereoisomers were distinguished by comparing NOESY NMR with computational models.

Semi-quantitative assay for polyketide prymnesins isolated from Prymnesium parvum (Haptophyta) cultures

A fluorometric assay was developed to semi-quantify co-purified polyketide prymnesins-1 and -2 (PPs) from Prymnesium parvum cultures. Evaluations performed throughout the growth cycle of 5 practical salinity unit (PSU) cultures detected relatively 8-10 × more PPs in the culture medium (exotoxins) than in cells (endotoxins). The [exotoxin] remained stable and relatively low until post-log growth, when they increased significantly. However, on a per-cell basis, [exotoxin] declined throughout log phase and subsequently increased dramatically during late- and post-log phases. The [endotoxin] remained stable until late- and post-log phases, when it achieved its highest level before declining sharply. Shaking cultures of strains from Texas, South Carolina and the United Kingdom displayed dramatically different [exotoxin] during post-log decline. Cultures adapted to 30 PSU had significantly lower [exotoxin] over the course of cultivation than those grown at 5 PSU. Phosphate limitation enhanced [exotoxin] on a per-cell basis, especially in late- and post-log cultures. Media containing streptomycin exhibited a ∼20% increase in [exotoxin] in post-log cultures vs. control treatments, but it had only negligible effects on endotoxin levels. Brefeldin A had minimal effects on [exotoxin], suggesting that the presence of PPs in the medium may be largely derived from cell lysis or some other passive means.