Moorea producens

Moorea producens is a species of filamentous cyanobacteria in the genus Moorea, including tropical marine strains formerly classified as Lyngbya majuscula[1] due to morphological resemblance but separated based on genetic evidence.[2] Moorea producens grows on seagrass [3] and is one of the causes of the human skin irritation seaweed dermatitis.[4] It is known as fireweed in Australia[5] and stinging limu in Hawaii.[6]

Moorea producens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Cyanobacteria
Class: Cyanophyceae
Order: Oscillatoriales
Family: Oscillatoriaceae
Genus: Moorea
Species:
M. producens
Binomial name
Moorea producens
Engene, Rottacker, Kastovsky, Byrum, Choi, Ellisman, Komárek & Gerwick, 2012

The prevalence of this organism appears to be on the increase due to pollution and overfishing. Nutrients such as nitrogen and human waste flow to the ocean due to rain and sewage runoff; these added nutrients increase the population of microbes, which in turn remove oxygen from the water. Reduced numbers of fish to eat the microbes further enhances the microbe populations. Cyanobacteria are evolutionarily optimized for environmental conditions of low oxygen.[7] M. producta is non-diazotrophic.[2]

M. producens is known for its toxicity, producing Lyngbyatoxin-a and other "antifungal and cytotoxic agents, including laxaphycin A and B and curacin A."[8]

A major outbreak occurred in Darwin Harbour in May- June 2010.

References
  1. Espinel Nadjejda (2005-07-26). "Lyngbya majuscula Harvey in Hooker ex Gomont, 1892". MarineSpecies.org.
  2. Engene N, Rottacker EC, Kaštovský J, Byrum T, Choi H, Ellisman MH, Komárek J, Gerwick WH (2012). "Moorea producens gen. nov., sp. nov. and Moorea bouillonii comb. nov., tropical marine cyanobacteria rich in bioactive secondary metabolites". Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 62 (Pt 5): 1171–1178. doi:10.1099/ijs.0.033761-0. PMC 3542135. PMID 21724952.
  3. "Lyngbya Management Strategy". Archived from the original on 2009-03-26.
  4. "Seaweed dermatitis". New Zealand Dermatological Society. 2007-02-24.
  5. "Fireweed Fears Hosed Down". University of Queensland. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  6. "Stinging Limu -- Seaweed". www.aloha.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 1998. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  7. Kenneth R. Weiss (2006-07-30). "A Primeval Tide of Toxins". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2006-08-14.
  8. A. M. Burja; E. Abou-Mansour; B. Banaigs; C. Payri; J. G. Burgess & P. C. Wright (2002). "Culture of the marine cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula (Oscillatoriaceae), for bioprocess intensified production of cyclic and linear lipopeptides". Journal of Microbiological Methods. 48 (2–3): 207–219. doi:10.1016/S0167-7012(01)00324-4. PMID 11777570.

Further reading
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