Biochemistry and genetics of taste- and odor-producing cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are one of the principal sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which cause offensive taste and odor (T&O) in drinking and recreational water, fish, shellfish and other seafood. Although non-toxic to humans, these T&O compounds severely undermine public trust in these commodities, resulting in substantial costs in treatment, and lost revenue to drinking water, aquaculture, food and beverage and tourist/hospitality industries. Mitigation and control have been hindered by the complexity of the communities and processes which produce and modify T&O events, making it difficult to source-track the major producer(s) and the factors governing VOC production and fate. Over the past decade, however, advances in bioinformatics, enzymology, and applied detection technologies have greatly enhanced our understanding of the pathways, the enzymes and the genetic coding for some of the most problematic VOCs produced by cyanobacteria. This has led to the development of tools for rapid and sensitive detection and monitoring for the VOC production at source, and provided the basis for further diagnostics of endogenous and exogenous controls. This review provides an overview of current knowledge of the major cyanobacterial VOCs, the producers, the biochemistry and the genetics and highlight the current applications and further research needs in this area.     

Plant apocarotenoids: from retrograde signaling to interspecific communication

Carotenoids are isoprenoid compounds synthesized by all photosynthetic and some non-photosynthetic organisms. They are essential for photosynthesis and contribute to many other aspects of a plant's life. The oxidative breakdown of carotenoids gives rise to the formation of a diverse family of essential metabolites called apocarotenoids. This metabolic process either takes place spontaneously through reactive oxygen species or is catalyzed by enzymes generally belonging to the CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE family. Apocarotenoids include the phytohormones abscisic acid and strigolactones (SLs), signaling molecules and growth regulators. Abscisic acid and SLs are vital in regulating plant growth, development and stress response. SLs are also an essential component in plants’ rhizospheric communication with symbionts and parasites. Other apocarotenoid small molecules, such as blumenols, mycorradicins, zaxinone, anchorene, β-cyclocitral, β-cyclogeranic acid, β-ionone and loliolide, are involved in plant growth and development, and/or contribute to different processes, including arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis, abiotic stress response, plant–plant and plant–herbivore interactions and plastid retrograde signaling. There are also indications for the presence of structurally unidentified linear cis-carotene-derived apocarotenoids, which are presumed to modulate plastid biogenesis and leaf morphology, among other developmental processes. Here, we provide an overview on the biology of old, recently discovered and supposed plant apocarotenoid signaling molecules, describing their biosynthesis, developmental and physiological functions, and role as a messenger in plant communication.     

异味物质β-环柠檬醛降解菌的分离和鉴定

β-环柠檬醛(β-cyclocitral)是由微囊藻产生的主要藻源性异味污染物之一。利用稀释涂平板法,从采集到的微囊藻水华水样中分离得到两株降解β-环柠檬醛的菌株DH16和DH18,16S rRNA序列比对和系统进化树分析表明它们分别属于食酸菌属(Acidovorax)和不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter)。实验室保藏的微囊藻毒素降解菌Novosphingobium sp.THN1对β-环柠檬醛也有降解效果,该菌属于新鞘氨醇杆菌属(Novosphingobium)。对三株菌进行以β-环柠檬醛为唯一碳源的培养实验,气相色谱检测分析表明DH18和THN1两株菌具有高效降解β-环柠檬醛的能力,可以作为研究β-环柠檬醛生物降解机理的理想材料。     

SEASONAL ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE ORGANIC BIOGENIC SUBSTANCES (VOBS) IN FRESHWATER PHYTOPLANKTON POPULATIONS DOMINATED BY DINOBRYON,MICROCYSTIS AND APHANIZOMENON1

Over the course of one year the volatile organic biogenic substances (VOBS) found in the water of a eutrophied shallow lake were determined by gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods. The substances detected belonged to nor-carotenoids, terpenoids, unsaturated hydrocarbons, ketones, and aldehydes. The occurrence of particular VOBS correlated with the frequency with which certain phytoplankton species were recorded. The latter showed a well developed succession in that year. The following correspondences were found: β-cyclocitral and Microcystis; heptadec-cis 5-ene and Oscillatoria redekei; geosmin and argosmin and Aphanizomenon gracile; hepta-trans, cis 2,4-dienal, deca-trans, cis 2,4-dienal and Dinobryon; octa-trans, cis 1,3,5-triene and Asterionella formosa. Dictyopterenes and ectocarpene were only detected in high amounts in one sample obtained in August. The VOBS exhibited marked dynamics in the lake and usually were rapidly eliminated from the water body.