title: Global warming and hepatotoxin production by cyanobacteria: what can we learn from experiments?
abstract: Global temperature is expected to rise throughout this century, and blooms of cyanobacteria in lakes and estuaries are predicted to increase with the current level of global warming. The potential environmental, economic and sanitation repercussions of these blooms have attracted considerable attention among the world's scientific communities, water management agencies and general public. Of particular concern is the worldwide occurrence of hepatotoxic cyanobacteria posing a serious threat to global public health. Here, we highlight plausible effects of global warming on physiological and molecular changes in these cyanobacteria and resulting effects on hepatotoxin production. We also emphasize the importance of understanding the natural biological function(s) of hepatotoxins, various mechanisms governing their synthesis, and climate-driven changes in food-web interactions, if we are to predict consequences of the current and projected levels of global warming for production and accumulation of hepatotoxins in aquatic ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: IMDEA Agua, Alcalá de Henares, Spain. rehab@imdea.org
authors.forename: Rehab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El-Shehawy
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gorokhova
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernández-Piñas
authors.forename: Francisca F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: del Campo
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D057231:Climate Change; D000458:Cyanobacteria; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D020387:Food Chain; D057232:Global Warming; D057097:Harmful Algal Bloom; D006801:Humans; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052998:Microcystins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins