Cyanobacterial protease inhibitor microviridin J causes a lethal molting disruption in Daphnia pulicaria.
Laboratory experiments identified microviridin J as the source of a fatal molting disruption in Daphnia species organisms feeding on Microcystis cells. The molting disruption was presumably linked to the inhibitory effect of microviridin J on daphnid proteases, suggesting that hundreds of further cyanobacterial protease inhibitors must be considered potentially toxic to zooplankton.
Freshwater Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Hillerød, Denmark. Thomas.Rohrlack@niva.no
Thomas
T
Rohrlack
Kirsten
K
Christoffersen
Melanie
M
Kaebernick
Brett A
BA
Neilan
D000818:Animals; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; C480589:microviridin J