Transcriptomic analysis dissects the regulatory strategy of toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa under differential nitrogen forms

The critical role of nitrogen in the global proliferation of cyanobacterial blooms is arousing increasing attention. However, the mechanism underlying the algal responses to differential nitrogen forms remains unclarified. The physiological and transcriptomic changes of Microcystis aeruginosa supplied with different nitrogen forms (nitrate and ammonium) were highlighted in this study. The results indicated that ammonium behaves better in stimulating the initial growth in N-limited cells than nitrate. However, a concomitant side effect is that cellular growth and photosynthesis decreased due to photosystem II damage induced by excess absorbed light energy under 10 mg L-1 ammonium. By contrast, adequate nitrate supply favored more efficient photosynthesis, higher biomass yield and microcystin quotas than ammonium. Depending on the supplied nitrogen form, different transcriptomic patterns were observed in M. aeruginosa. Under nitrate, the upregulation of genes involved in Arg biosynthesis, ornithine-urea cycle and photosynthesis increased nitrogen storage and cellular growth, while genes involved in cyclic electron flow around photosystem I and CO2-concentrating mechanism were heightened to dissipate excess energy under high ammonium. These insights provided important clues for understanding the physiological and molecular effects of available nitrogen forms on the frequent outbreaks of cyanobacteria.