Ecophysiological Aspects and sxt Genes Expression Underlying Induced Chemical Defense in STX-Producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii (Cyanobacteria) against the Zooplankter Daphnia gessneri
| Autor: | Aloysio da S. Ferrão-Filho, Sandra M.F.O. Azevedo, Thiago Ferreira da Costa Pena Rodrigues, Luan O. Silva, Mauro C.P. Vilar, Ana Beatriz Furlanetto Pacheco |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Cyanobacteria Food Chain Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Zoology Toxicology Photosynthesis 01 natural sciences phenotypic plasticity Article Pheromones Zooplankton infochemicals saxitoxins 03 medical and health sciences chemistry.chemical_compound cyanotoxins Phytoplankton Animals 030304 developmental biology Saxitoxin 0303 health sciences Phenotypic plasticity biology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology fungi Gene Expression Regulation Bacterial Cyanotoxin biology.organism_classification Daphnia chemistry Genes Bacterial phytoplankton Medicine Chemical defense Function (biology) Cylindrospermopsis |
| Zdroj: | Toxins Volume 13 Issue 6 Toxins, Vol 13, Iss 406, p 406 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 2072-6651 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/toxins13060406 |
| Popis: | Cyanobacteria stand out among phytoplankton when they form massive blooms and produce toxins. Because cyanotoxin genes date to the origin of metazoans, the hypothesis that cyanotoxins function as a defense against herbivory is still debated. Although their primary cellular function might vary, these metabolites could have evolved as an anti-predator response. Here we evaluated the physiological and molecular responses of a saxitoxin-producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii to infochemicals released by the grazer Daphnia gessneri. Induced chemical defenses were evidenced in R. raciborskii as a significant increase in the transcription level of sxt genes, followed by an increase in saxitoxin content when exposed to predator cues. Moreover, cyanobacterial growth decreased, and no significant effects on photosynthesis or morphology were observed. Overall, the induced defense response was accompanied by a trade-off between toxin production and growth. These results shed light on the mechanisms underlying zooplankton–cyanobacteria interactions in aquatic food webs. The widespread occurrence of the cyanobacterium R. raciborskii in freshwater bodies has been attributed to its phenotypic plasticity. Assessing the potential of this species to thrive over interaction filters such as zooplankton grazing pressure can enhance our understanding of its adaptive success. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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