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(Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse...
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(Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 14500

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aloysio Ferrão-Filho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Evaluation and Promotion of Environmental Health, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, RJ, Brazil
Interests: cyanobacteria; cyanotoxins; zooplankton; ecotoxicology; ecophysiology; behavioral toxicology
Dr. Mauro Cesar Palmeira Vilar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Ecophysiology and Toxicology of Cyanobacteria, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: cyanobacteria and harmful algae; cyanotoxins; chemical ecology; environmental toxicology; ecotoxicology; ecophysiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cyanobacterial blooms are a problem of growing concern because some species can produce a range of bioactive secondary metabolites named cyanotoxins, in addition to other bioactive peptides as well as taste and odour compounds. Once established, these blooms can pose several risks for public and environmental health, compromising water quality and aquatic biota. The fate of these compounds is still challenging, since their dynamics in water bodies can occur across different biotic (e.g., bioaccumulation, biodegradation) and abiotic (e.g., sediment adsorption; water-dissolved fraction) compartments. The well-known cyanotoxins can be classified into four main types according to their mechanism of action as hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, dermatotoxins and neurotoxins; however, considering that cyanobacteria can produce a myriad of metabolites, many of their biological activities (especially toxicity) have yet to be explored. Studies on the effects of cyanobacteria and their metabolites over a wide range of organisms have reported both acute and chronic effects (e.g., reduction in survival, growth and reproduction) as well as biochemical/physiological (e.g., inhibition of phosphatases, AChE, and proteases; endocrine disruption) and behavioural alterations across different generations. Research has also focused on the potential for the bioaccumulation and transfer of these toxins through aquatic food webs. To a certain extent, these studies are of interest for assessing water quality, exposure risks and adverse effects associated with the nuisance of cyanobacteria.  

Therefore, this Special Issue will focus on research addressing the dynamics of cyanotoxins and other cyanometabolites across different environmental compartments, including their bioavailability, exposure risks and adverse effects. This Issue also welcomes studies of the ecotoxicological and toxicological aspects of cyanotoxins.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Aloysio Ferrão-Filho
Dr. Mauro Cesar Palmeira Vilar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • CyanoHABs
  • ecotoxicology
  • cyanotoxins
  • bioaccumulation
  • water quality
  • environmental toxicology
  • risk assessment

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 247 KiB  
Editorial
(Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects
by Mauro Vilar and Aloysio Ferrão-Filho
Toxics 2022, 10(11), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110648 - 28 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1469
Abstract
The problem of artificial eutrophication, together with the effects of climate changes has led to an increase in the frequency of the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

16 pages, 1486 KiB  
Article
Saxitoxin-Producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii (Cyanobacteria) Constrains Daphnia Fitness and Feeding Rate despite High Nutritious Food Availability
by Gabriele Costa dos Reis, Gustavo Henrique A. de Carvalho, Mauro Cesar Palmeira Vilar, Sandra Maria Feliciano de Oliveira e Azevedo and Aloysio da Silva Ferrão-Filho
Toxics 2023, 11(8), 693; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11080693 - 11 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1072
Abstract
Changes in food quality can dramatically impair zooplankton fitness, especially in eutrophic water bodies where cyanobacteria are usually predominant. Cyanobacteria are considered a food with low nutritional value, and some species can produce bioactive secondary metabolites reported as toxic to zooplankton. Considering that [...] Read more.
Changes in food quality can dramatically impair zooplankton fitness, especially in eutrophic water bodies where cyanobacteria are usually predominant. Cyanobacteria are considered a food with low nutritional value, and some species can produce bioactive secondary metabolites reported as toxic to zooplankton. Considering that cyanobacteria can limit the survival, growth and reproduction of zooplankton, we hypothesized that the dietary exposure of neotropical Daphnia species (D. laevis and D. gessneri) to saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria impairs Daphnia feeding rates and fitness regardless of a high availability of nutritious algae. Life table and grazing assays were conducted with different diets: (1) without nutritional restriction, where neonates were fed with diets at a constant green algae biomass (as a nutritious food source), and an increasing cyanobacterial concentration (toxic and poor food source), and (2) with diets consisting of different proportions of green algae (nutritious) and cyanobacteria (poor food) at a total biomass 1.0 mg C L−1. In general, the presence of high proportions of cyanobacteria promoted a decrease in Daphnia somatic growth, reproduction and the intrinsic rate of population increase (r) in both diets with more pronounced effects in the nutritionally restricted diet (90% R. raciborskii). A two-way ANOVA revealed the significant effects of species/clone and treatments in both assays, with significant interaction between those factors only in the second assay. Regarding the grazing assay, only D. laevis was negatively affected by increased cyanobacterial proportions in the diet. In the life table assay with constant nutritious food, a reduction in the reproduction and the intrinsic rate of the population increase (r) of all species were observed. In conclusion, we found adverse effects of the toxic cyanobacterial strain R. raciborskii on Daphnia fitness, regardless of the constant amount of nutritious food available, proving the toxic effect of R. raciborskii and that the nutritional quality of the food has a greater influence on the fitness of these animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)
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17 pages, 2607 KiB  
Article
Occurrence, Distribution and Toxins of Benthic Cyanobacteria in German Lakes
by Franziska Bauer, Immanuel Wolfschlaeger, Juergen Geist, Jutta Fastner, Carina Wiena Schmalz and Uta Raeder
Toxics 2023, 11(8), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11080643 - 25 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2234
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are favored by climate change and global warming; however, to date, most research and monitoring programs have focused on planktic cyanobacteria. Benthic cyanobacteria blooms also increase and pose a risk to animal and human health; however, there is limited knowledge of their [...] Read more.
Cyanobacteria are favored by climate change and global warming; however, to date, most research and monitoring programs have focused on planktic cyanobacteria. Benthic cyanobacteria blooms also increase and pose a risk to animal and human health; however, there is limited knowledge of their occurrence, distribution and the toxins involved, especially in relation to their planktic conspecifics. Therefore, we analyzed the benthic and planktic life forms of cyanobacterial communities in 34 lakes in Germany, including a monitoring of cyanotoxins. Community analyses were based on microscopic examination and Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The analyses of cyanotoxins were carried out using LC-MS/MS and ELISA. Observed benthic mats containing cyanobacteria consisted mainly of Nostocales and Oscillatoriales, being present in 35% of the lakes. Anatoxin was the most abundant cyanotoxin in the benthic samples, reaching maximum concentrations of 45,000 µg/L, whereas microcystin was the predominate cyanotoxin in the open-water samples, reaching concentrations of up to 18,000 µg/L. Based on the results, specific lakes at risk of toxic cyanobacteria could be identified. Our findings suggest that monitoring of benthic cyanobacteria and their toxins should receive greater attention, ideally complementing existing open-water sampling programs with little additional effort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)
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11 pages, 1117 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Toxicity of Microcyclamide Produced by Microcystis aeruginosa in Danio rerio Embryos
by Paloma Nathane Nunes de Freitas, Kazumi Kinoshita Teramoto, Alexander Ossanes de Souza and Ernani Pinto
Toxics 2023, 11(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11020128 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1465
Abstract
The genus of cyanobacteria Microcystis is one of the most recurrent in blooms and is associated with the hepatotoxin microcystin production. In addition to cyanotoxins, these bacteria produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with a wide repertoire of activities. The co-occurrence of [...] Read more.
The genus of cyanobacteria Microcystis is one of the most recurrent in blooms and is associated with the hepatotoxin microcystin production. In addition to cyanotoxins, these bacteria produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with a wide repertoire of activities. The co-occurrence of cyanotoxins and other cyanopeptides during blooming is quite common, and the negative effects are not always limited to one class of toxins, which makes it essential to investigate the toxicity of the other compounds individually. The objective of this study was to isolate the cyanopeptide microcyclamide produced by the strain Microcystis aeruginosa LTPNA 08 by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry with a quadrupole-time-of-flight analyzer (LC-HR-QTOF-MS/MS) and to evaluate its acute toxicity in embryos of Danio rerio through the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) assay. The fraction containing microcyclamide (95% purity) caused lethality in 62% of the embryos after 96 h exposure (50 µg mL−1), with evidence of cardiotoxicity (cardiac edema). The calculated LC50 value was 42.98 µg mL−1 (with a concentration range of 37.79–48.89 µg mL−1). The characterization of the secondary metabolites produced by cyanobacteria and the investigation of the toxicity of these compounds individually are essential for the identification of the substances responsible for negative effects on living organisms and on the ecosystem, in addition to assisting in the development of risk management policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)
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Review

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17 pages, 1596 KiB  
Review
Experimental Studies on Zooplankton-Toxic Cyanobacteria Interactions: A Review
by S. Nandini and S. S. S. Sarma
Toxics 2023, 11(2), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11020176 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2221
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms have been recognized as a problem in fresh water for about 150 years. Over the past 50 years, experimental studies on the subject have gained importance considering the increasing need to control toxic cyanobacterial blooms. This article presents information on the [...] Read more.
Cyanobacterial blooms have been recognized as a problem in fresh water for about 150 years. Over the past 50 years, experimental studies on the subject have gained importance considering the increasing need to control toxic cyanobacterial blooms. This article presents information on the different lines of research that have been undertaken on zooplankton–cyanobacteria interactions over the past 50 years. These include information on filtering/ingestion rates and phytoplankton preferences of small and large rotifers, cladocerans, and copepods; growth rates of zooplankton on cyanobacterial diets; feeding rates of other freshwater invertebrates on cyanobacteria; role of zooplankton in top-down biomanipulation efforts; effect of cyanotoxins on zooplankton; bioaccumulation of cyanotoxins; and physical and chemical control of cyanobacterial blooms. We also highlight measures that have led to successful lake management and improvement of water quality in selected waterbodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)
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20 pages, 972 KiB  
Review
A Review of Common Cyanotoxins and Their Effects on Fish
by Halina Falfushynska, Nadiia Kasianchuk, Eduard Siemens, Eliana Henao and Piotr Rzymski
Toxics 2023, 11(2), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11020118 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3115
Abstract
Global warming and human-induced eutrophication drive the occurrence of various cyanotoxins in aquatic environments. These metabolites reveal diversified mechanisms of action, encompassing cyto-, neuro-, hepato-, nephro-, and neurotoxicity, and pose a threat to aquatic biota and human health. In the present paper, we [...] Read more.
Global warming and human-induced eutrophication drive the occurrence of various cyanotoxins in aquatic environments. These metabolites reveal diversified mechanisms of action, encompassing cyto-, neuro-, hepato-, nephro-, and neurotoxicity, and pose a threat to aquatic biota and human health. In the present paper, we review data on the occurrence of the most studied cyanotoxins, microcystins, nodularins, cylindrospermopsin, anatoxins, and saxitoxins, in the aquatic environment, as well as their potential bioaccumulation and toxicity in fish. Microcystins are the most studied among all known cyanotoxins, although other toxic cyanobacterial metabolites are also commonly identified in aquatic environments and can reveal high toxicity in fish. Except for primary toxicity signs, cyanotoxins adversely affect the antioxidant system and anti-/pro-oxidant balance. Cyanotoxins also negatively impact the mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum by increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, fish exposed to microcystins and cylindrospermopsin exhibit various immunomodulatory, inflammatory, and endocrine responses. Even though cyanotoxins exert a complex pressure on fish, numerous aspects are yet to be the subject of in-depth investigation. Metabolites other than microcystins should be studied more thoroughly to understand the long-term effects in fish and provide a robust background for monitoring and management actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)
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24 pages, 2212 KiB  
Review
Genetic Diversity of Microcystin Producers (Cyanobacteria) and Microcystin Congeners in Aquatic Resources across Africa: A Review Paper
by Mathias Ahii Chia, Ilu Ameh, Korie Chibuike George, Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun, Suwebat Ayanronke Akinyemi and Adriana Sturion Lorenzi
Toxics 2022, 10(12), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10120772 - 10 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1840
Abstract
Microcystins are produced by multifaceted organisms called cyanobacteria, which are integral to Africa’s freshwater environments. The excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria caused by rising temperature and eutrophication leads to the production and release of copious amounts of microcystins, requiring critical management and control approaches [...] Read more.
Microcystins are produced by multifaceted organisms called cyanobacteria, which are integral to Africa’s freshwater environments. The excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria caused by rising temperature and eutrophication leads to the production and release of copious amounts of microcystins, requiring critical management and control approaches to prevent the adverse environmental and public health problems associated with these bioactive metabolites. Despite hypotheses reported to explain the phylogeography and mechanisms responsible for cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic water bodies, many aspects are scarcely understood in Africa due to the paucity of investigations and lack of uniformity of experimental methods. Due to a lack of information and large-scale studies, cyanobacteria occurrence and genetic diversity are seldom reported in African aquatic ecosystems. This review covers the diversity and geographical distribution of potential microcystin-producing and non-microcystin-producing cyanobacterial taxa in Africa. Molecular analyses using housekeeping genes (e.g., 16S rRNA, ITS, rpoC1, etc.) revealed significant sequence divergence across several cyanobacterial strains from East, North, West, and South Africa, but the lack of uniformity in molecular markers employed made continent-wise phylogenetic comparisons impossible. Planktothrix agardhii, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (presently known as Raphidiopsis raciborskii) were the most commonly reported genera. Potential microcystin (MCs)-producing cyanobacteria were detected using mcy genes, and several microcystin congeners were recorded. Studying cyanobacteria species from the African continent is urgent to effectively safeguard public and environmental health because more than 80% of the continent has no data on these important microorganisms and their bioactive secondary metabolites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Eco)Toxicology of Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins: From Environmental Dynamics to Adverse Effects)
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