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Toxins
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Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special...
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Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine and Freshwater Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 23412

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Georg Gärtner

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Guest Editor
Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, A 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: taxonomy, ecology, and cultivation of algae with special reference to soil-, airborne-, and lichen algae
Prof. Dr. Maya Stoyneva-Gärtner

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Co-Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, Sofia University, BG-1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: algology, botany, limnology, mycology, lichenology, ecology, taxonomy of algae, phytoplankton, threatened species, invasive species, nature conservation, algal toxins (mainly cyanotoxins), harmful algal blooms, history of botany, medicinal algae and fungi for algology - all ecological groups of algae, including aeroterrestrial, thermophyton

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cyanobacteria and algae occupy all habitats on our planet. However, to date, most of the attention was focused on the ecology of freshwater planktonic algae and their blooms in respect of harmful toxic species and their effects. Algae of freshwater habitats have for many years and with increasing efforts been investigated also for their bioactive components, which are or could be useful for human health and human requirements. While the existence of toxins from cyanobacteria has been known and studied intensively for more than 40 years, bioactive products and toxic compounds of aerophytic algae are a new territory for algal science, which seems to be developing extraordinarily fast.

This Special Issue will cover information about a broad diversity of algae from freshwater and aerial habitats, including extremophilic species (like snow-, ice-, and thermal-algae), and provide new information about their ecology and that of bioactive compounds, e.g., toxins. Methods for the detection, isolation of toxic and nontoxic compounds, as well as new facts about life-strategies of microalgae from aeroterrestric habitats should be presented, but review articles are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Georg Gärtner
Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Maya Stoyneva-Gärtner
Co-Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • freshwater algae
  • cyanobacteria
  • aerophytic algae
  • toxins
  • biocompounds
  • extremophilic algae
  • thermal algae

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2122 KiB  
Article
First Report on Microcystis as a Potential Microviridin Producer in Bulgarian Waterbodies
by Blagoy Uzunov, Katerina Stefanova, Mariana Radkova, Jean-Pierre Descy, Georg Gärtner and Maya Stoyneva-Gärtner
Toxins 2021, 13(7), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13070448 - 28 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
Bulgaria, situated on the Balkan Peninsula, is rich in small and shallow, natural and man-made non-lotic waterbodies, which are threatened by blooms of Cyanoprokaryota/Cyanobacteria. Although cyanotoxins in Bulgarian surface waters are receiving increased attention, there is no information on microviridins and their producers. [...] Read more.
Bulgaria, situated on the Balkan Peninsula, is rich in small and shallow, natural and man-made non-lotic waterbodies, which are threatened by blooms of Cyanoprokaryota/Cyanobacteria. Although cyanotoxins in Bulgarian surface waters are receiving increased attention, there is no information on microviridins and their producers. This paper presents results from a phytoplankton study, conducted in August 2019 in three lakes (Durankulak, Vaya, Uzungeren) and five reservoirs (Duvanli, Mandra, Poroy, Sinyata Reka, Zhrebchevo) in which a molecular-genetic analysis (PCR based on the precursor mdnA gene and subsequent translation to amino acid alignments), combined with conventional light microscopy and an HPLC analysis of marker pigments, were applied for the identification of potential microviridin producers. The results provide evidence that ten strains of the genus Microcystis, and of its most widespread species M. aeruginosa in particular, are potentially toxigenic in respect to microviridins. The mdnA sequences were obtained from all studied waterbodies and their translation to amino-acid alignments revealed the presence of five microviridin variants (types B/C, Izancya, CBJ55500.1 (Microcystis 199), and MC19, as well as a variant, which was very close to type A). This study adds to the general understanding of the microviridin occurrence, producers, and sequence diversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species)
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11 pages, 2648 KiB  
Article
New Data on Cylindrospermopsin Toxicity
by Mariela Chichova, Oskan Tasinov, Milena Shkodrova, Milena Mishonova, Iliyana Sazdova, Bilyana Ilieva, Dilyana Doncheva-Stoimenova, Yoana Kiselova-Kaneva, Neli Raikova, Blagoy Uzunov, Diana Ivanova and Hristo Gagov
Toxins 2021, 13(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13010041 - 8 Jan 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3053
Abstract
Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a widely spread cyanotoxin that can occur in fresh water and food. This research aims to investigate CYN toxicity by studying the effects of drinking 0.25 nM of CYN-contaminated water from a natural source, and of the direct application of [...] Read more.
Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a widely spread cyanotoxin that can occur in fresh water and food. This research aims to investigate CYN toxicity by studying the effects of drinking 0.25 nM of CYN-contaminated water from a natural source, and of the direct application of moderate concentrations of CYN on different animal targets. The chosen structures and activities are rat mitochondria inner membrane permeability, mitochondrial ATP synthase (ATPase) and rat liver diamine oxidase (DAO) activities (EC 1.4.3.22.), the force of the contraction of an excised frog heart preparation with functional innervation, and the viability of a human intestinal epithelial cell line (HIEC-6). The oral exposure to CYN decreased the reverse (hydrolase) activity of rat liver ATPase whereas its short-term, in vitro application was without significant effect on this organelle, DAO activity, heart contractions, and their neuronal regulation. The application of CYN reduced HIEC-6 cells’ viability dose dependently. It was concluded that CYN is moderately toxic for the human intestinal epithelial cells, where the regeneration of the epithelial layer can be suppressed by CYN. This result suggests that CYN may provoke pathological changes in the human gastrointestinal tract. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species)
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16 pages, 2869 KiB  
Article
Interplay of Nutrients, Temperature, and Competition of Native and Alien Cyanobacteria Species Growth and Cyanotoxin Production in Temperate Lakes
by Ksenija Savadova-Ratkus, Hanna Mazur-Marzec, Jūratė Karosienė, Jūratė Kasperovičienė, Ričardas Paškauskas, Irma Vitonytė and Judita Koreivienė
Toxins 2021, 13(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13010023 - 1 Jan 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3052
Abstract
Global warming and eutrophication contribute to formation of HABs and distribution of alien cyanobacteria northward. The current study assessed how alien to Europe Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Chrysosporum bergii will co-occur with dominant native Planktothrix agardhii and Aphanizomenon gracile species under changing conditions in [...] Read more.
Global warming and eutrophication contribute to formation of HABs and distribution of alien cyanobacteria northward. The current study assessed how alien to Europe Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Chrysosporum bergii will co-occur with dominant native Planktothrix agardhii and Aphanizomenon gracile species under changing conditions in temperate freshwaters. The experiments were carried out to examine the effect of nutrients and temperature on the growth rate of cyanobacteria, production of cyanotoxins, and interspecies competition. The highest growth rate was determined for A. gracile (0.43 day−1) and S. aphanizomenoides (0.40 day−1) strains at all the tested nutrient concentrations (IP and IN were significant factors). S. aphanizomenoides adapted to the wide range of nutrient concentrations and temperature due to high species ecological plasticity; however, A. gracile was able to suppress its dominance under changing conditions. Regularity between tested variables and STX concentration in A. gracile was not found, but IP concentration negatively correlated with the amount of dmMC-RR and other non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) in P. agardhii strains. The relative concentration of NRPs in nontoxic P. agardhii strain was up to 3-fold higher than in MC-producing strain. Our study indicated that nutrients, temperature, and species had significant effects on interspecies competition. A. gracile had a negative effect on biomass of both alien species and P. agardhii. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species)
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Review

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28 pages, 530 KiB  
Review
Toxic or Otherwise Harmful Algae and the Built Environment
by Wolfgang Karl Hofbauer
Toxins 2021, 13(7), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13070465 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5035
Abstract
This article gives a comprehensive overview on potentially harmful algae occurring in the built environment. Man-made structures provide diverse habitats where algae can grow, mainly aerophytic in nature. Literature reveals that algae that is potentially harmful to humans do occur in the anthropogenic [...] Read more.
This article gives a comprehensive overview on potentially harmful algae occurring in the built environment. Man-made structures provide diverse habitats where algae can grow, mainly aerophytic in nature. Literature reveals that algae that is potentially harmful to humans do occur in the anthropogenic environment in the air, on surfaces or in water bodies. Algae may negatively affect humans in different ways: they may be toxic, allergenic and pathogenic to humans or attack human structures. Toxin-producing alga are represented in the built environment mainly by blue green algae (Cyanoprokaryota). In special occasions, other toxic algae may also be involved. Green algae (Chlorophyta) found airborne or growing on manmade surfaces may be allergenic whereas Cyanoprokaryota and other forms may not only be toxic but also allergenic. Pathogenicity is found only in a special group of algae, especially in the genus Prototheca. In addition, rare cases with infections due to algae with green chloroplasts are reported. Algal action may be involved in the biodeterioration of buildings and works of art, which is still discussed controversially. Whereas in many cases the disfigurement of surfaces and even the corrosion of materials is encountered, in other cases a protective effect on the materials is reported. A comprehensive list of 79 taxa of potentially harmful, airborne algae supplemented with their counterparts occurring in the built environment, is given. Due to global climate change, it is not unlikely that the built environment will suffer from more and higher amounts of harmful algal species in the future. Therefore, intensified research in composition, ecophysiology and development of algal growth in the built environment is indicated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species)
45 pages, 1100 KiB  
Review
Algal Toxic Compounds and Their Aeroterrestrial, Airborne and other Extremophilic Producers with Attention to Soil and Plant Contamination: A Review
by Georg Gӓrtner, Maya Stoyneva-Gӓrtner and Blagoy Uzunov
Toxins 2021, 13(5), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13050322 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6524
Abstract
The review summarizes the available knowledge on toxins and their producers from rather disparate algal assemblages of aeroterrestrial, airborne and other versatile extreme environments (hot springs, deserts, ice, snow, caves, etc.) and on phycotoxins as contaminants of emergent concern in soil and plants. [...] Read more.
The review summarizes the available knowledge on toxins and their producers from rather disparate algal assemblages of aeroterrestrial, airborne and other versatile extreme environments (hot springs, deserts, ice, snow, caves, etc.) and on phycotoxins as contaminants of emergent concern in soil and plants. There is a growing body of evidence that algal toxins and their producers occur in all general types of extreme habitats, and cyanobacteria/cyanoprokaryotes dominate in most of them. Altogether, 55 toxigenic algal genera (47 cyanoprokaryotes) were enlisted, and our analysis showed that besides the “standard” toxins, routinely known from different waterbodies (microcystins, nodularins, anatoxins, saxitoxins, cylindrospermopsins, BMAA, etc.), they can produce some specific toxic compounds. Whether the toxic biomolecules are related with the harsh conditions on which algae have to thrive and what is their functional role may be answered by future studies. Therefore, we outline the gaps in knowledge and provide ideas for further research, considering, from one side, the health risk from phycotoxins on the background of the global warming and eutrophication and, from the other side, the current surge of interest which phycotoxins provoke due to their potential as novel compounds in medicine, pharmacy, cosmetics, bioremediation, agriculture and all aspects of biotechnological implications in human life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species)
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9 pages, 293 KiB  
Review
Contribution of Cyanotoxins to the Ecotoxicological Role of Lichens
by Dobri Ivanov, Galina Yaneva, Irina Potoroko and Diana G. Ivanova
Toxins 2021, 13(5), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13050321 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2479
Abstract
The fascinating world of lichens draws the attention of the researchers because of the numerous properties of lichens used traditionally and, in modern times, as a raw material for medicines and in the perfumery industry, for food and spices, for fodder, as dyes, [...] Read more.
The fascinating world of lichens draws the attention of the researchers because of the numerous properties of lichens used traditionally and, in modern times, as a raw material for medicines and in the perfumery industry, for food and spices, for fodder, as dyes, and for other various purposes all over the world. However, lichens being widespread symbiotic entities between fungi and photosynthetic partners may acquire toxic features due to either the fungi, algae, or cyano-procaryotes producing toxins. By this way, several common lichens acquire toxic features. In this survey, recent data about the ecology, phytogenetics, and biology of some lichens with respect to the associated toxin-producing cyanoprokaryotes in different habitats around the world are discussed. Special attention is paid to the common toxins, called microcystin and nodularin, produced mainly by the Nostoc species. The effective application of a series of modern research methods to approach the issue of lichen toxicity as contributed by the cyanophotobiont partner is emphasized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Aerophytic and Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Algae with Special Reference to Toxic Species)
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