Interspecific allelopathy in cyanobacteria: Cylindrospermopsin and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii effect on the growth and metabolism of Microcystis aeruginosa

• CYN inhibits MC-LR production and increases alkaline activity in Microcystis aeruginosa.
• Growth of M. aeruginosa is inhibited by CYN concentrations of ≥10 μg L−1.
• Non-CYN Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii strain produces bioactive compound mimicking CYN action.
• CYN does not bioaccumulate in M. aeruginosa.
• CYN can contribute in cyanobacterial interspecific competition.

The biological role of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites is relatively unknown although several possible hypotheses have been discussed. In the following study the effect of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) and metabolites of non-CYN producing Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii strain on growth, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and microcystin-LR (MC-LR) production in Microcystis aeruginosa was evaluated. Higher concentrations of CYN (10 and 50 μg L−1) induced toxicity effects demonstrated by significant growth inhibition and M. aeruginosa cell necrosis. Lower concentrations of CYN (1 and 5 μg L−1) slightly decreased growth rates but significantly up-regulated ALP activity. Moreover, under all studied CYN concentrations MC-LR production strongly decreased. Spent C. raciborskii medium mimicked the CYN action by inducing strong inhibition of M. aeruginosa growth and MC-LR production and through up-regulation of ALP activity. On the other hand, spent M. aeruginosa medium did not affect C. raciborskii growth and no alterations in ALP activity were observed. Co-culturing of these two species resulted in an increase of C. raciborskii contribution at the expense of M. aeruginosa. From the results we conclude that CYN can be involved in interspecific competition in cyanobacteria and that non-CYN producing C. raciborskii strains may produce a hitherto unknown bioactive compound(s) which can mimic CYN action.