Physiological and Metabolic Response of Arthrospira maxima to Organophosphates

Abstract

The Spirulina spp. exhibited an ability to tolerate the organophosphates. This study aimed to explore the effects of the herbicide glyphosate on a selected strain of the cyanobacteria Arthrospira maxima cultivated in a company. Experimental cultivations acclimated in aquaria were treated with 0.2 mM glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine]. The culture biomass, the phycocyanin, and the chlorophyll a concentrations were evaluated every week during 42 days of treatment. The differentially expressed proteins in the treated cyanobacteria versus the control cultivations were evaluated weekly during 21 days of treatment. Even if the glyphosate treatment negatively affected the biomass and the photosynthetic pigments, it induced resistance in the survival A. maxima population. Proteins belonging to the response to osmotic stress and methylation pathways were strongly accumulated in treated cultivation; the response to toxic substances and the negative regulation of transcription seemed to have a role in the resistance. The glyphosate-affected enzyme, chorismate synthase, a key enzyme in the shikimic acid pathway, was accumulated during treatment, suggesting that the surviving strain of A. maxima expressed a glyphosate-resistant target enzyme.

“Unity and Struggle of Opposites” as a Basis for the Functioning of Synthetic Bacterial Immobilized Consortium That Continuously Degrades Organophosphorus Pesticides

“…It is known that organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) continue to be actively used in the world as an effective means of protecting plants and animals. They are found in different water sources, thus creating the possibility of a serious impact on existing natural and artificial ecosystems [ 1 , 2 ]. Certain requirements are imposed on the concentrations of OPP, the presence of which is permissible in various environmental objects [ 3 ].…”

Microalgae: A Promising Future

“…Among microalgae, cyanobacteria are one of the most investigated microorganisms for biotechnological purposes, as three reports of the Special Issue demonstrate [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…Being that Arthrospira is a species largely cultivated for animal and human food additives and as a source of phycocyanin, a bioactive antioxidant molecule, it is important to know the effects of herbicides on this species. In this context, Piro and co-authors [ 18 ] investigated the effects of glyphosate, a broad-spectrum herbicide at the center of a large debate on potential toxicity. On the subject, there are different positions with different results, and this once again also happens regarding the effects on Spirulina .…”

“…On the subject, there are different positions with different results, and this once again also happens regarding the effects on Spirulina . Indeed, the authors [ 18 ] evidenced that a deliberate treatment with glyphosate on the selected cultivation of this cyanobacterium negatively affected the biomass and the photosynthetic pigments, and it induced resistance in A. maxima survival. These results demonstrated that the resistance of A. maxima to glyphosate effects is mediated by a key enzyme until now not identified in other Spirulina species.…”