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Cyanophages Infection of Microcystis Bloom in Lowland Dam Reservoir of Sulejów, Poland

  • Microbiology of Aquatic Systems
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Abstract

An increased incidence of cyanobacterial blooms, which are largely composed of toxigenic cyanobacteria from the Microcystis genus, leads to a disruption of aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of environmental parameters on the development and collapse of blooms is important. The objectives of the present study were as follows: (1) to investigate the presence and identity of Microcystis-specific cyanophages capable of cyanobacterial cell lysis in a lowland dam reservoir in Central Europe; (2) to investigate Microcystis sensitivity to phage infections with regard to toxic genotypes; and (3) to identify key abiotic parameters influencing phage infections during the summer seasons between 2009 and 2013. Sequencing analysis of selected g91 gene amplification products confirmed that the identified cyanophages belonged to the family Myoviridae (95 % homology). Cyanophages and Microcystis hosts, including toxic genotypes, were positively correlated in 4 of the 5 years analyzed (r = 0.67–0.82). The average percentage of infected Microcystis cells varied between 0.1 and 32 %, and no particular sensitivity of the phages to toxigenic genotypes was recorded. The highest number of cyanophages (>104 gene copy number per microliter) was observed in the period preceded by the following: an increase of the water retention time, growth of the water temperature, optimum nutrient concentrations, and the predomination of Microcystis bloom.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Science Centre (PL), project no. UMO-2013/11/N/NZ8/00607 “Ecological dynamics of cyanophages and their host in Polish water bodies” and partially by no. UMO-2012/07/N/NZ8/00599 “Assessment of the interaction between hepatotoxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and pathogenic bacteria of the genus Aeromonas.” The authors would like to acknowledge the European Cooperation in Science and Technology, COST Action ES 1105 “CYANOCOST - Cyanobacterial blooms and toxins in water resources: Occurrence, impacts and management” for adding value to this study through networking and knowledge sharing with European experts and researchers in the field”. The Sulejów Reservoir is a part of the Polish National Long-Term Ecosystem Research Network and the European LTER site.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Łódź, Poland

    J. Mankiewicz-Boczek & A. Jaskulska

  2. European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Tylna 3, 90-364, Łódź, Poland

    J. Mankiewicz-Boczek, A. Jaskulska, I. Gągała & L. Serwecińska

  3. Institute for Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232, Łódź, Poland

    J. Pawełczyk & J. Dziadek

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  1. J. Mankiewicz-Boczek
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Correspondence to J. Mankiewicz-Boczek.

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Supplementary material 1

Detection of cyanobacteria from the genus Microcystis (fragment of 16S rRNA gene), its toxic genotypes (fragment of mcyA gene) and cyanophages specific for Microcystis (fragment of g91 gene) in samples taken from Sulejów Reservoir, station Tresta, in following seasons 2009-2013. M – DNA marker; C – negative control – MiliQ water

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Mankiewicz-Boczek, J., Jaskulska, A., Pawełczyk, J. et al. Cyanophages Infection of Microcystis Bloom in Lowland Dam Reservoir of Sulejów, Poland. Microb Ecol 71, 315–325 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-015-0677-5

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