Abstract

Cyanobacteria synthesize neurotoxic β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA). The roles of this non-protein amino acid in cyanobacterial cells are insufficiently studied. During diazotrophic growth, filamentous cyanobacteria form single differentiated cells, called heterocysts, which are separated by approximately 12–15 vegetative cells. When combined nitrogen is available, heterocyst formation is blocked and cyanobacterial filaments contain only vegetative cells. In the present study, we discovered that exogenous BMAA induces the process of heterocyst formation in filamentous cyanobacteria under nitrogen-replete conditions that normally repress cell differentiation. BMAA treated cyanobacteria form heterocyst-like dark non-fluorescent non-functional cells. It was found that glutamate eliminates the BMAA mediated derepression. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) permitted to detect the BMAA impact on the transcriptional activity of several genes that are implicated in nitrogen assimilation and heterocyst formation in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. We demonstrated that the expression of several essential genes increases in the BMAA presence under repressive conditions.

Details

Title
The Cyanotoxin BMAA Induces Heterocyst Specific Gene Expression in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 under Repressive Conditions
Author
Popova, Alexandra A 1 ; Semashko, Tatiana A 2 ; Kostina, Natalia V 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rasmussen, Ulla 4 ; Govorun, Vadim M 2 ; Koksharova, Olga A 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square, 2, 123182 Moscow, Russia; Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt 60 let Oktyabrya, 7/2, 117312 Moscow, Russia 
2  Scientific-Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine, 119435 Moscow, Russia 
3  Soil Science Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1-12, 119991 Moscow, Russia 
4  Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden 
5  Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square, 2, 123182 Moscow, Russia; Belozersky Institute of Physical-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, 40, 119992 Moscow, Russia 
First page
478
Publication year
2018
Publication date
2018
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20726651
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins10110478
ProQuest document ID
2582920416
Copyright
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.