Special Issue "Cyanotoxins"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. John P. Berry
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 354/332 Marine Science, Biscayne Bay Campus, FIU, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami, FL 33181, USA
Website: http://www.fiu.edu/~berryj/
E-Mail: john.berry@fiu.edu
Phone: +1 305 919 4569
Fax: +1 305 919 4030
Interests: cyanobacteria; toxins; bioactive compounds; zebrafish embryo model; natural products

Dear Colleagues,

One of the oldest groups of organisms known—from fossil records dating back more than 3.5 billion years—the cyanobacteria (or "blue-green algae") are recognized to produce a diverse repertoire of biologically active secondary metabolites. Occurring ubiquitously in both free-living and symbiotic form, and perhaps most conspicuously in aquatic habitats as part of so-called "harmful algal blooms" (HABs), several of these bioactive cyanobacterial metabolites have been clearly identified as "toxins" that negatively impact human, animal and ecosystem health—including acute toxicoses and chronic, long-term health effects—in association with toxigenic HABs, contamination of drinking water, transfer through food-webs and other potential exposure routes. Moreover, in light of global climate change, and particularly measurable rises in global temperature, as well as increased fluxes of certain nutrients (i.e., nitrates, phosphates) from pollutant run-off (e.g., fertilizers, sewage/waste) and other anthropogenic sources, it has been suggested that cyanobacteria—including toxin-producing taxa—and cyanobacterial HABs may be increasing in abundance, and thus represent an emerging human and environmental health concern. This special issue will present, through both primary research and comprehensive review papers, up-to-date findings on these so-called “cyanotoxins” particularly focusing on their chemistry and toxicology, as well as aspects (e.g., monitoring strategies) related to mitigating their potential health effects, and understanding of the ecological dynamics related to the toxins and their production.

Prof. Dr. John P. Berry
Guest Editor

Submission

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• cyanobacteria
• toxins
• cyanotoxins
• harmful algal blooms
• blue-green algae
• toxicology
• chemistry

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Effect of Nutrient Limited Cyanobacteria on Protease Inhibitor Production and Daphnia Magna Fitness
Authors: Anke Schwarzenberger; Thomas Sadler and Eric Von Elert
Affiliation: University of Cologne, Cologne Biocentre, Aquatic Chemical Ecology, Zülpicherstraße 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany; E-Mail: schwara0@uni-koeln.de (A.S.)
Abstract: The occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in lakes and ponds has, at least partly, been attributed to cyanotoxins, which negatively affect the major grazer of planktonic cyanobacteria, i.e., Daphnia. Among these cyanotoxins are the wide-spread protease inhibitors (PIs). Here we report that growth limitation by nutrients (i.e., phosphate and nitrate) of a strain of Microcystis aeruginosa led to changes in PI-content. This altered PI-content was accompanied by changed effects on the fitness of Daphnia, measured as IC50-values of inhibition of digestive proteases and as reduction of somatic growth rate.