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Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Distribution and conservation of known secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters in the genomes of geographically diverse Microcystis aeruginosa strains

Leanne A. Pearson A B , Nicholas D. Crosbie A and Brett A. Neilan B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Applied Research, Melbourne Water Corporation, 990 La Trobe Street, Docklands, Vic. 3008, Australia.

B School of Environmental and Life Sciences, SR233, Social Sciences Building, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: brett.neilan@newcastle.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 71(5) 701-716 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18406
Submitted: 23 October 2018  Accepted: 12 July 2019   Published: 17 October 2019

Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2020 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

The cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa has been linked to toxic blooms worldwide. In addition to producing hepatotoxic microcystins, many strains are capable of synthesising a variety of biologically active compounds, including protease and phosphatase inhibitors, which may affect aquatic ecosystems and pose a risk to their use. This study explored the distribution, composition and conservation of known secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis gene clusters in the genomes of 27 M. aeruginosa strains isolated from six different Köppen–Geiger climates. Our analysis identified gene clusters with significant homology to nine SM biosynthesis gene clusters spanning four different compound classes: non-ribosomal peptides, hybrid polyketide–non-ribosomal peptides, cyanobactins and microviridins. The aeruginosin, microviridin, cyanopeptolin and microcystin biosynthesis gene clusters were the most frequently observed, but hybrid polyketide–non-ribosomal peptide biosynthesis clusters were the most common class overall. Although some biogeographic relationships were observed, taxonomic markers and geography were not reliable indicators of SM biosynthesis cluster distribution, possibly due to previous genetic deletions or horizontal gene transfer events. The only cyanotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster identified in our screening study was the microcystin synthetase (mcy) gene cluster, suggesting that the production of non-microcystin cyanotoxins by this taxon, such as anatoxin-a or paralytic shellfish poison analogues, is either absent or rare.

Additional keywords: biogeography, cyanobacteria, cyanobactin, cyanotoxins, microviridin, non-ribosomal peptide, phylogeny, polyketide.


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