Abstract
Cyanobacterin is a secondary metabolite produced by the cyanobacterium, Scytonema hofmanni. Highly purified cyanobacterin was found to inhibit the growth of many cyanobacteria at a minimum effective dose of 2 μg/ml (4.6 μM). The antibiotic had no effect on eubacteria including the photosynthetic Rhodospirillum rubrum. The site of action of cyanobacterin was further investigated in the unicellular cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. Electron micrographs of antibiotic-treated Synechococcus cells indicated that cyanobacterin affects thylakoid membrane structure. The antibiotic also inhibited light-dependent oxygen evolution in Synechococcus cells and in spheroplasts. These data support our conclusion that cyanobacterin specifically inhibits photosynthetic electron transport. This activity is similar to herbicides such as 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea (DCMU). The anhydro analog of cyanobacterin had no biological activity.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DCMU:
-
3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea
- DCPIP:
-
dichlorophenolindophenol
References
Arnon DI, McSwain BD, Tsujimoto HY, Wada K (1974) Photochemical activity and components of membrane preparations from blue-green algae. Biochim Biophys Acta 357:321–324
Barbier M (1981) Marine chemical ecology: The roles of chemical communication and chemical pollution. In: Scheuer PJ (ed) Marine natural products. Academic Press, New York, pp 148–186
Carmichael WW, Gorham PR (1978) Anatoxins from clones of Anabaena flos-aquae isolated from lakes of Western Canada. Mitt Internat Verein Limnol 21:285–295
Carmichael WW, Biggs DF, Gorham PR (1975) Toxicity and pharmacological action of Anabaena flos-aquae toxin. Science 187: 542–544
Gleason FK, Ooka MP (1978) Cell cycle and cell wall formation in Synechococcus sp., a unicellular cyanophyte. Cytobiologie (Eur J Cell Biol) 16:224–234
Gleason FK, Paulson JL, Baxa CA (1983a) Activity of the natural algicide cyanobacterin on Synechococcus sp. and Euglena gracilis. J Phycol 19 suppl:15
Gleason FK, Michurski S, Wood JM (1983b) Biosynthesis of the antibiotic, cyanobacterin. Fed Proc 42:2209
Hutchinson GE (1975) A treatise on limnology, vol 1, part 2. John Wiley and Sons, p 580
Izawa S, Good NE (1972) Inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport and photophosphorylation. In: Colowick SP, Kaplan NO (eds) Methods in enzymology, vol 24, Photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation (San Pietro A, ed.). Academic Press, New York, pp 355–377
Keating KI (1977) Allelopathic influence on blue-green bloom sequence in a eutrophic lake. Science 196:885–887
Lam CWY, Silvester WB (1979) Growth interactions among blue-green (Anabaena oscillaripides, Microcystis aeruginosa) and green (Chlorella sp.) algae. Hydrobiol 63:135–143
Mason CP, Edwards KR, Carlson RE, Pignatello J, Gleason FK, Wood JM (1982) Isolation of chlorine-containing antibiotic from the freshwater cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni. Science 215:400–402
Moreland DE (1980) Mechanisms of action of herbicides. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 31:597–638
Pignatello JJ, Porwoll J, Carlson RE, Xavier A, Gleason FK, Wood JM (1983) Structure of the antibiotic cyanobacterin, a chlorine-containing γ-lactone from the freshwater cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni. J Org Chem 48:4035–4037
Shipman LL (1982) Binding sites associated with inhibition of photosystem II. In: Moreland DF, St John JB, Hess FD (eds) Biochemical responses induced by herbicides. Amer Chem Soc Wash DC, pp 23–35
Stanier RY, Kunisawa R, Mandel M, Cohen-Bazire G (1971) Purification and properties of unicellular blue-green algae (order Chroococcales) Bacteriol Rev 35:171–205
Trebst A (1972) Measurement of Hill reactions and photoreduction. In: Colowick SP, Kaplan NO (eds) Methods in enzymology, vol 24, Photsynthesis and nitrogen fixation (San Pietro A, ed). Academic Press, New York, pp 146–165
VanAssche CJ, Carles PM (1982) Photosystem II inhibiting chemicals. Molecular interaction between inhibitors and a common target. In: Moreland DE, St John JB, Hess FD (eds) Biochemical responses induced by herbicides. Amer Chem Soc Wash DC, pp 1–21
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gleason, F.K., Paulson, J.L. Site of action of the natural algicide, cyanobacterin, in the blue-green alga, Synechococcus sp.. Arch. Microbiol. 138, 273–277 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402134
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402134