Grazing of two toxic Planktothrix species by Daphnia pulicaria: potential for bloom control and transfer of microcystins

The role of zooplankton in the control of cyanobacterial bloomsand the transfer of cyanotoxins to higher trophic levels areof great importance to the management of water resources. Manystudies have focused on the cyanobacterium Microcystis, butfew have examined the interactions between zooplankton and filamentouscyanobacteria. In this study, we provide experimental evidencefor the potential grazing of two toxic strains of filamentouscyanobacteria, Planktothrix rubescens and P. agardhii, by Daphniapulicaria, and for transfer of toxins in the planktonic foodchain. We determined clearance rates (CRs) by adult and juvenileD. pulicaria of the two Planktothrix strains, Scenedesmus acutusand a mixture of S. acutus cells with P. rubescens culture filtrate.Filament lengths were analyzed, and microcystin (MCY) presencein Daphnia was assessed using the Protein Phosphatase-2A (PP-2A)Inhibition Assay. The two Planktothrix strains were equallygrazed by D. pulicaria, but at lower CRs than S. acutus. Potentialanti-grazer toxins in P. rubescens filtrate did not inhibitDaphnia grazing. Small P. rubescens (<100 µm) filamentswere preferentially grazed by adult D. pulicaria, suggestingtheir limited ability to control a Planktothrix population duringa bloom. Large quantities of MCYs were found in unstarved Daphniapreviously exposed to Planktothrix, whereas quantities weresignificantly smaller in individuals starved for 24 h beforepreservation. This indicated a potential for transfer of toxinsin the food chain by Daphnia, especially immediately after ingestionof toxic cyanobacteria.     

Abundance of active and inactive microcystin genotypes in populations of the toxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix spp

To investigate the abundance of active and inactive microcystin genotypes in populations of the filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix spp., individual filaments were grown as clonal strains in the laboratory and analysed for microcystin synthetase (mcy) genes and microcystin. Twenty-three green-pigmented strains of P. agardhii originating mostly from shallow water bodies fell into two groups, those possessing mcyA and those lacking mcyA. In contrast, all of the 49 strains that were assigned to the red-pigmented P. rubescens contained mcyA. One strain of P. agardhii and eight strains of P. rubescens contained the total microcystin synthetase gene cluster but were found inactive in microcystin synthesis. To investigate the natural abundance of inactive mcy genotypes in P. rubescens individual filaments sampled from Lake Irrsee and Lake Mondsee (Austria) were analysed directly for the presence of mcyA and microcystin by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. All filaments assigned to P. rubescens contained mcyA. The proportion of inactive microcystin genotypes in populations with a low (Irrsee) or high density (Mondsee) of P. rubescens was 5% and 21%, each. The results of this study demonstrate that P. rubescens typically contain mcy genes whereas P. agardhii have a patchy distribution of mcy genes. In both species microcystin producers co-occur with non-microcystin producers due to the absence/inactivation of mcy genes.     

Diversity of microcystin genotypes among populations of the filamentous cyanobacteria Planktothrix rubescens and Planktothrix agardhii

Microcystins (MCs) are toxic heptapeptides that are produced by filamentous cyanobacteria Planktothrix rubescens and Planktothrix agardhii via nonribosomal peptide synthesis. MCs share a common structure cyclo (-D-Alanine(1)-L-X(2)- D-erythro-beta-iso-aspartic acid(3)-L-Z(4)-Adda(5)-D-Glutamate(6)- N-methyl-dehydroalanine(7)) where X(2) and Z(2) are variable L-amino acids in positions 2, 4 of the molecule. Part of the mcyB gene (1,451 bp) that is involved in the activation of the X(2) amino acid during MC synthesis was sequenced in 49 strains containing different proportions of arginine, homotyrosine, and leucine in position 2 of the MC molecule. Twenty-five genotypes were found that consisted of eight genotype groups (A-H, comprising 2-11 strains) and 17 unique genotypes. P. rubescens and P. agardhii partly consisted of the same mcyB genotypes. The occurrence of numerous putative recombination events that affected all of the genotypes can explain the conflict between taxonomy and mcyB genotype distribution. Genotypes B (homotyrosine and leucine in X(2)) and C (arginine in X(2)) showed higher nonsynonymous/synonymous (d(N)/d(S)) substitution ratios implying a relaxation of selective constraints. In contrast, other genotypes (arginine, leucine, homotyrosine) showed lowest d(N)/d(S) ratios implying purifying selection. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) revealed the unambiguous identification of mcyB genotypes, which are indicative of variable X(2) amino acids in eight populations of P. rubescens in the Alps (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland). The populations were found to differ significantly in the proportion of specific genotypes and the number of genotypes that occurred over several years. It is concluded that spatial isolation might favour the genetic divergence of microcystin synthesis in Planktothrix spp.     

Suboptimal light conditions negatively affect the heterotrophy of Planktothrix rubescens but are beneficial for accompanying Limnohabitans spp

We examined the effect of light on the heterotrophic activity of the filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens and on its relationship with the accompanying bacteria. In situ leucine uptake by bacteria and cyanobacteria was determined in a subalpine mesotrophic lake, and natural assemblages from the zone of maximal P. rubescens abundances were incubated for 2 days at contrasting light regimes (ambient, 100× increased, dark). Planktothrix rubescens from the photic zone of the lake incorporated substantially more leucine, but some heterotrophic activity was maintained in filaments from the hypolimnion. Exposure of cyanobacteria to increased irradiance or darkness resulted in significantly lower leucine incorporation than at ambient light conditions. Highest abundances and leucine uptake of Betaproteobacteria from the genus Limnohabitans were found in the accompanying microflora at suboptimal irradiance levels for P. rubescens or in dark incubations. Therefore, two Limnohabitans strains (representing different species) were co-cultured with axenic P. rubescens at different light conditions. The abundances and leucine incorporation rates of both strains most strongly increased at elevated irradiance levels, in parallel to a decrease of photosynthetic pigment fluorescence and the fragmentation of cyanobacterial filaments. Our results suggest that Limnohabitans spp. in lakes might profit from the presence of physiologically stressed P. rubescens.     

COMPETITION BETWEEN A PROCHLOROPHYTE AND A CYANOBACTERIUM UNDER VARIOUS PHOSPHORUS REGIMES: COMPARISON WITH THE DROOP MODEL

The ecophysiology and competitive behavior of the prochlorophyte Prochlorothrix hollandica Burger-Wiersma, Stal et Mur, and the cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii Anagn. et Kom. were investigated in phosphorus-limited continuous cultures. When the species were exposed to successive saturating pulses of P, the maximal P uptake rate decreased linearly with an increase in the P cell quota. Prochlorothrix had a higher maximal P uptake rate, a lower half-saturation constant for P uptake, higher maximal cell quota for P, and slightly lower minimal cell quota for P than Planktothrix. These data indicate that Prochlorothrix is an affinity and storage strategist, at least when compared to Planktothrix. On the other hand, Prochlorothrix had a lower maximal growth rate than Planktothrix. On the basis of these ecophysiological parameters, we developed a Droop model to predict the time course and outcome of competition under various P regimes. The model predictions were in line with the results of competition experiments under three different P-limited conditions (continuous P supply, 4-day pulse period, 12-day pulse period). Prochlorothrix competitively displaced Planktothrix under both a constant and a pulsed P supply, and competitive displacement of Planktothrix was slowest in the experiment with a 12-day pulse period. In the pulsed experiments, the mean filament lengths and chl a fluorescence of the species oscillated at the same frequency as the pulse additions. In contrast to the Droop model, the predictions of the Monod model were not in line with the outcome of the competition experiments. Our results demonstrate that Prochlorothrix is a very good competitor for P and that the time course and outcome of competition for P in a variable environment can be predicted on the basis of the P uptake and storage characteristics of the species.     

Contrasting microcystin production and cyanobacterial population dynamics in two Planktothrix-dominated freshwater lakes

Microcystin concentrations in two Dutch lakes with an important Planktothrix component were related to the dynamics of cyanobacterial genotypes and biovolumes. Genotype composition was analysed by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiling of the intergenic transcribed spacer region of the rrn operon (rRNA-ITS), and biovolumes were measured by using microscopy. In Lake Tjeukemeer, microcystins were present throughout summer (maximum concentration 30 microg l(-1)) while cyanobacterial diversity was low and very constant. The dominant phototroph was Planktothrix agardhii. In contrast, Lake Klinckenberg showed a high microcystin peak (up to 140 microg l(-1)) of short duration. In this lake, cyanobacterial diversity was higher and very dynamic with apparent genotype successions. Several genotypes derived from DGGE field profiles matched with genotypes from cultures isolated from field samples. The microcystin peak measured in Lake Klinckenberg could be confidently linked to a bloom of Planktothrix rubescens, as microscopic and genotypic analysis showed identity of bloom samples and a toxin-producing P. rubescens culture. Toxin-producing genotypes were detected in the microbial community before they reached densities at which they were detected by using microscopy. Cyanobacterial biovolumes provided additional insights in bloom dynamics. In both lakes, the microcystin content per cell was highest at the onset of the blooms. Our results suggest that while genotypic characterization of a lake can be valuable for detection of toxic organisms, for some lakes a monitoring of algal biomass has sufficient predictive value for an assessment of toxin production.     

A Dhb-microcystin from the filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens

A Dhb-microcystin variant was isolated from the filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens. Its structure was elucidated as (E)-Dhb-microcystin-HilR ([D-Asp3, (E)-Dhb7]microcystin-HilR) on the basis of spectral data and amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis.     

Collapse of a Planktothrix agardhii perennial bloom and microcystin dynamics in response to reduced phosphate concentrations in a temperate lake

Planktothrix agardhii dynamics, microcystin concentration and limnological variables were monitored every 2 weeks for 2 years (2004-2006) in a shallow hypereutrophic artificial lake (BNV, Viry-Chatillon, France). Time-series analysis identified two components in the P. agardhii biomass dynamics: (1) a significant decreasing trend in P. agardhii biomass (65% of the overall variance) and (2) a residual component without significant seasonal periodicity. A path-analysis model was built to determine the main factors controlling the P. agardhii dynamics over the period studied. The model explained 66% of P. agardhii biomass changes. The decreasing trend in P. agardhii biomass was significantly related to a decrease in the PO4(3-) concentration resulting from an improved treatment of the incoming watershed surface water. The residual component was related to zooplankton dynamics (cyclopoid abundances), supporting the hypothesis of a top-down control of P. agardhii, but only when the biomass was low. Forty-nine percent of the variability in the microcystin (MC) concentration (min:<0.1 microg equivalent MC-LR L(-1); max: 7.4 microg equivalent MC-LR L(-1)) could be explained by changes in the P. agardhii biomass. The highest toxin content was observed when P. agardhii biomass was the lowest, which suggests changes in the proportion of microcystin-producing and -nonproducing subpopulations and/or the physiological status of cells.     

What drives the distribution of the bloom-forming cyanobacteria Planktothrix agardhii and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii?

The cyanobacteria Planktothrix agardhii and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii are bloom-forming species common in eutrophic freshwaters. These filamentous species share certain physiological traits which imply that they might flourish under similar environmental conditions. We compared the distribution of the two species in a large database (940 samples) covering different climatic regions and the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and carried out laboratory experiments to compare their morphological and physiological responses. The environmental ranges of the two species overlapped with respect to temperature, light and total phosphorus (TP); however, they responded differently to environmental gradients; C.?raciborskii biovolume changed gradually while P. agardhii shifted sharply from being highly dominated to a rare component of the phytoplankton. As expected, P.?agardhii dominates the phytoplankton with high TP and low light availability conditions. Contrary to predictions, C.?raciborskii succeeded in all climates and at temperatures as low as 11?°C. Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii had higher phenotypic plasticity than P.?agardhii in terms of pigments, individual size and growth rates. We conclude that the phenotypic plasticity of C.?raciborskii could explain its ongoing expansion to temperate latitudes and suggest its future predominance under predicted climate-change scenarios.     

Species-specific real-time PCR cell number quantification of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii

A species-specific method to detect and quantify Planktothrix agardhii was developed by combining the SYBR Green I real-time polymerase chain reaction technique with a simplified DNA extraction procedure for standard curve preparation. Newly designed PCR primers were used to amplify a specific fragment within the rpoC1 gene. Since this gene exists in single copy in the genome, it allows the direct achievement of cell concentrations. The cell concentration determined by real-time PCR showed a linear correlation with the cell concentration determined from direct microscopic counts. The detection limit for cell quantification of the method was 8?cells?μL(-1), corresponding to 32 cells per reaction. Furthermore, the real-time qPCR method described in this study allowed a successful quantification of P. agardhii from environmental water samples, showing that this protocol is an accurate and economic tool for a rapid absolute quantification of the potentially toxic cyanobacterium P. agardhii.     

Seasonal dynamics and depth distribution of Planktothrix spp. in Lake Steinsfjorden (Norway) related to environmental factors

To investigate factors and mechanisms regulating toxin-producingpopulations of Planktothrix, we conducted a field study (2001–04)in the mesotrophic Lake Steinsfjorden, South-eastern Norway.The occurring species, Planktothrix rubescens and P. agardhii,had similar depth distributions and seasonal dynamics, bothforming metalimnetic blooms in 10–14 m depth. By comparingthe resource availability and temperature in Lake Steinsfjordenwith demands determined in laboratory studies, temperature andlight were identified as the most important factors controllinggrowth and depth distribution of Planktothrix spp. In addition,macronutrients, especially nitrogen, may have limited growthin periods. A lowering of nutrient supplies over time couldin addition to the prevailing suboptimal temperature and lightconditions prevent the population of Planktothrix spp. fromforming blooms. On two occasions, a major decrease in Planktothrixspp. abundance in the open water could be linked to a transporttowards the banks of Lake Steinsfjorden with subsequent decompositionin the littoral zone. Our results show that the depth distributionand seasonal dynamics of Planktothrix spp. in Lake Steinsfjordenis controlled by environmental factors in a similar way as inother Nordic, Central European and North American lakes.     

The major pigment composition of different strains of Oscillatoria (Cyanophyta) recorded in vivo by a modified Shibata technique

The pigmentation of five strains of Oscillatoria bornetii and four strains of Oscillatoria agardhii/rubescens were surveyed in vivo by spectrophotometry. The O. bornetii strains are very homogeneous with regard to qualitative pigment composition, but strain differences with regard to relative pigment content are remarkable. The O. agardhii/rubescens complex is variable, especially with regard to phycoerythrin content. In vivo pigment techniques may be promising as an additional, simple tool in blue–green algal taxonomy.     

Analysis and modelling of the interactive effects of temperature and light on phytoplankton growth and relevance for the spring bloom

Global climate change alters the relationship between temperatureand light in aquatic ecosystems, which is expected to affectthe success of different phytoplankton species. To examine this,the interactions between temperature, photoperiod and lightexposure (LE) (integral daily light supply) on specific growthrates were analysed for Limnothrix redekei, Planktothrix agardhii(cyanobacteria), Nitzschia acicularis and Stephanodiscus minutulus(diatoms). A model of factor interactions was developed basedon new (P. agardhii and St. minutulus) and previously publishedlaboratory studies. It describes the measured data with highprecision. Temperature and photoperiod affect the parametersof the light-growth response curve differently, but these effectsare the same for all species. The link between functions fortemperature and photoperiod is more species-specific. Usingmeteorological data, the model developed here was used to studythe interplay of these factors during a spring bloom in LakeMüggelsee (Berlin). It was found that while all three factorsinfluenced phytoplankton growth, temperature and photoperiodwere more important than LE. Both the intensities of the factorsand the interactions between them influenced each species toa different degree. The results may help improve our understandingand ability to predict shifts in phytoplankton communities causedby weather patterns and climate change.     

NH4+ utilization and regeneration rates in freshwater lakes determined by GC-MS of derivatised dihydroindophenol.

A new gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method was established that is applicable for the determination of NH4+ utilization and regeneration rates in freshwater. Hollow-fibre modules were used to stop the biogenic nitrogen-fluxes by separating the particulate from the dissolved matter. Incubations were performed in Tedlar bags (polyvinylfluoride), which enabled repeated sample removals through Teflon tubes, making the calculation of nitrogen-fluxes in accordance to Blackburn and Caperon much more reliable. The Berthelot reaction was performed with ammonium and a fragment ion (base peak) of tris-(trifluoroacetyl) 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylamine was used to determine the at% excess 15N by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nitrogen-flux measurements were made in the epilimnion of the deep, stratified, mesotrophic Lake Zürich, in which the cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens was the dominating photoautotrophic micro-organism. The size fraction <20 microm that consisted of heterotrophic bacterioplankton and nanoflagellates, and photoautotrophic pico- and nanoplankton accounted only for a minor part of the ammonium utilization (<25%) and regeneration (< or =25%) rates, whereas the size fraction >20 microm which primarily consisted of Planktothrix rubescens was responsible for the major part. In the eutrophic Lake Au, which is connected to Lake Zürich through a canal, utilization and regeneration rates as high as 700 and 482 nM h(-1) were measured.     

A novel cyanophage with a cyanobacterial nonbleaching protein A gene in the genome

A cyanophage, PaV-LD, has been isolated from harmful filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii in Lake Donghu, a shallow freshwater lake in China. Here, we present the cyanophage's genomic organization and major structural proteins. The genome is a 95,299-bp-long, linear double-stranded DNA and contains 142 potential genes. BLAST searches revealed 29 proteins of known function in cyanophages, cyanobacteria, or bacteria. Thirteen major structural proteins ranging in size from 27 kDa to 172 kDa were identified by SDS-PAGE and mass-spectrometric analysis. The genome lacks major genes that are necessary to the tail structure, and the tailless PaV-LD has been confirmed by an electron microscopy comparison with other tail cyanophages and phages. Phylogenetic analysis of the major capsid proteins also reveals an independent branch of PaV-LD that is quite different from other known tail cyanophages and phages. Moreover, the unique genome carries a nonbleaching protein A (NblA) gene (open reading frame [ORF] 022L), which is present in all phycobilisome-containing organisms and mediates phycobilisome degradation. Western blot detection confirmed that 022L was expressed after PaV-LD infection in the host filamentous cyanobacterium. In addition, its appearance was companied by a significant decline of phycocyanobilin content and a color change of the cyanobacterial cells from blue-green to yellow-green. The biological function of PaV-LD nblA was further confirmed by expression in a model cyanobacterium via an integration platform, by spectroscopic analysis and electron microscopy observation. The data indicate that PaV-LD is an exceptional cyanophage of filamentous cyanobacteria, and this novel cyanophage will also provide us with a new vision of the cyanophage-host interactions.     

水华蓝藻噬藻体对不同条件培养的宿主细胞感染性分析

在从武汉东湖水样中培养分离水华蓝藻噬藻体(Planktothrix agardhii Virus from Lake Donghu,PaV-LD)的基础上,对在不同条件培养的宿主蓝藻细胞中,PaV-LD增殖效率及裂解作用进行了测定分析。分别将PaV-LD接种到生长期、半连续培养更新率或光照不同的宿主蓝藻液中,并采用稀释培养计数(Mostprobable number,MPN)方法与电镜观察,测定子代PaV-LD释放量及宿主细胞的裂解作用。结果显示:对数生长期宿主蓝藻单个细胞中子代PaV-LD的平均释放量为350感染单位(Infectious Units,IU/cell),显著高于稳定生长期的平均释放量110 IU/cell。在用新鲜培养基更新率为0%、35%、50%和65%的半连续培养宿主蓝藻中,接种PaV-LD 5d之后,噬藻体的释放量分别约为50 IU/cell、70 IU/cell、220 IU/cell或310 IU/cell,表明子代PaV-LD释放率随培养基更新率的增加而显著提高。在光照条件下感染3—4d后,宿主蓝藻细胞充分裂解,并释放大量子代PaV-LD,滴度可由初始7.00×103IU/mL快速增加到8.56×107IU/mL;但在遮光条件下,同样感染的蓝藻细胞未见裂解,也检测不到释放的子代噬藻体。电镜观察显示,在光照条件下感染的蓝藻细胞类囊体膜结构消失,而大量子代PaV-LD颗粒主要分布在原有类囊体的部位。显然,宿主蓝藻细胞的培养条件和状态可能对获得噬藻体纯培养有决定性影响。     

阿氏浮丝藻mcyT基因序列多样性研究

为研究我国浮丝藻（Planktothrix Anagnostidis et Komrek）的毒素相关基因,选取分离自我国不同省份水体的13株阿氏浮丝藻,通过PCR检测其微囊藻毒素合成酶基因mcyA、mcyE及mcyT研究其毒素基因特性。PCR结果表明除mcyT之外其他引物检测均无扩增产物,说明这13株浮丝藻不具备产微囊藻毒素的能力。通过克隆测序得到mcyT序列,并进行分子系统分析,构建了关于mcyT序列的Neighbor-Joining系统树,结果表明mcyT序列可以将产毒与不产毒浮丝藻分为两大独立的分支,两个分支之间的最低序列相似度分别为98.5%和99.1%。研究结果可为后续研究我国浮丝藻的微囊藻毒素合成相关基因的多样性以及分子监测提供参考。       

Microcystin biosynthesis in planktothrix: genes,evolution, and manipulation

Microcystins represent an extraordinarily large family of cyclic heptapeptide toxins that are nonribosomally synthesized by various cyanobacteria. Microcystins specifically inhibit the eukaryotic protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. Their outstanding variability makes them particularly useful for studies on the evolution of structure-function relationships in peptide synthetases and their genes. Analyses of microcystin synthetase genes provide valuable clues for the potential and limits of combinatorial biosynthesis. We have sequenced and analyzed 55.6 kb of the potential microcystin synthetase gene (mcy) cluster from the filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii CYA 126. The cluster contains genes for peptide synthetases (mcyABC), polyketide synthases (PKSs; mcyD), chimeric enzymes composed of peptide synthetase and PKS modules (mcyEG), a putative thioesterase (mcyT), a putative ABC transporter (mcyH), and a putative peptide-modifying enzyme (mcyJ). The gene content and arrangement and the sequence of specific domains in the gene products differ from those of the mcy cluster in Microcystis, a unicellular cyanobacterium. The data suggest an evolution of mcy clusters from, rather than to, genes for nodularin (a related pentapeptide) biosynthesis. Our data do not support the idea of horizontal gene transfer of complete mcy gene clusters between the genera. We have established a protocol for stable genetic transformation of Planktothrix, a genus that is characterized by multicellular filaments exhibiting continuous motility. Targeted mutation of mcyJ revealed its function as a gene coding for a O-methyltransferase. The mutant cells produce a novel microcystin variant exhibiting reduced inhibitory activity toward protein phosphatases.     

Transposons inactivate biosynthesis of the nonribosomal peptide microcystin in naturally occurring Planktothrix spp

The filamentous cyanobacteria Planktothrix spp. occur in the temperate region of the Northern hemisphere. The red-pigmented Planktothrix rubescens bacteria occur in deep, physically stratified, and less eutrophic lakes. Planktothrix is a known producer of the toxic heptapeptide microcystin (MC), which is produced nonribosomally by a large enzyme complex consisting of peptide synthetases and polyketide synthases encoded by a total of nine genes (mcy genes). Planktothrix spp. differ in their cellular MC contents as well as the production of MC variants; however, the mechanisms favoring this diversity are not understood. Recently, the occurrence of Planktothrix strains containing all mcy genes but lacking MC has been reported. In this study, 29 such strains were analyzed to find out if mutations of the mcy genes lead to the inability to synthesize MC. Two deletions, spanning 400 bp (in mcyB; one strain) and 1,869 bp (in mcyHA; three strains), and three insertions (IS), spanning 1,429 bp (in mcyD; eight strains), 1,433 bp (in mcyEG; one strain), and 1,433 bp (in mcyA; one strain), were identified. Though found in different genes and different isolates and transcribed in opposite directions, IS were found to be identical and contained conserved domains assigned to transposable elements. Using mutation-specific primers, two insertions (in mcyD and mcyA) and one deletion (in mcyHA) were found regularly in populations of P. rubescens in different lakes. The results demonstrate for the first time that different mutations resulting in inactivation of MC synthesis do occur frequently and make up a stable proportion of the mcy gene pool in Planktothrix populations over several years.