title: Molecular effects of the cyanobacterial toxin cyanopeptolin (CP1020) occurring in algal blooms: global transcriptome analysis in zebrafish embryos.
abstract: Higher water temperatures due to climate change combined with eutrophication of inland waters promote cyanobacterial blooms. Some of the cyanobacteria produce toxins leading to drinking water contamination and fish poisoning on a global scale. Here, we focused on the molecular effects of the cyanobacterial oligopeptide cyanopeptolin CP1020, produced by Microcystis and Planktothrix strains, by means of whole-genome transcriptomics. Exposure of 72 hpf old zebrafish embryos for 96 h to 100 and 1,000 μg/L CP1020 resulted in differential transcriptional alteration of 396 and 490 transcripts (fold change ≥ 2), respectively, of which 68 gene transcripts were common. These belong to genes related to various important biological and physiological pathways. Most clearly affected were pathways related to DNA damage recognition and repair, circadian rhythm and response to light. Validation by RT-qPCR showed dose-dependent transcriptional alterations of genes belonging to DNA damage and repair and regulation of circadian rhythm. This leads to the hypothesis that CP1020 acts on DNA and has neurotoxic activity. This transcriptome analysis leads to the identification of novel and unknown molecular effects of this cyanobacterial toxin, including neurotoxicity, which may have important consequences for humans consuming contaminated drinking water.
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Gründenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faltermann
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Gründenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zucchi
authors.affiliation: University of Zürich, Institute of Plant Biology, Limnological Station, Seestrasse 187, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: University of Zürich, Institute of Plant Biology, Limnological Station, Seestrasse 187, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Judith F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.affiliation: University of Zürich, Institute of Plant Biology, Limnological Station, Seestrasse 187, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pernthaler
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Gründenstrasse 40, CH-4132 Muttenz, Switzerland; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollution Dynamics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland. Electronic address: karl.fent@fhnw.ch.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D047630:Depsipeptides; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005068:Eutrophication; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D047630:Depsipeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C550047:cyanopeptolin 1020
keywords: Cyanobacterial toxin; Cyanopeptolin; Modes of action; Molecular effects; Transcriptomics; Zebrafish