Molecular physiology of antagonistic bacterial interactions with Microcystis

Microcystis aeruginosa is a cyanobacterium with the ability to cause cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs), which are a global threat to public health and freshwater ecosystem function. Microcystis is especially problematic as it has the ability to produce a secondary metabolite called microcystin, a hepatotoxin which can cause liver damage if ingested. Currently there are no solutions to Microcystis blooms that do not involve the use of toxic chemicals, which will further damage the aquatic ecosystem. Previous studies have identified a possible biological solution to Microcystis blooms through the use of algicidal bacteria, which can be naturally found within the blooms. However, the genes involved in these algicidal mechanisms have currently not been identified. We have isolated algicidal bacteria cHABs in Lake Anna (Virginia, USA) and Lake Tai (China). We have conducted co-culture experiments and generated a series of physiological data to determine the impact of these algicidal bacteria on the gene expression of Microcystis. Co-culture transcriptomes and growth data can be used in conjunction to identify the genetic pathways responsible for its algicidal mechanisms, with potential applications for bloom mitigation strategies