The Role of Quorum Sensing in the Development of Microcystis aeruginosa Blooms: Gene Expression.

is the dominant cyanobacterial species causing harmful algal blooms in water bodies worldwide. The blooms release potent toxins and pose severe public health hazards to water bodies, animals, and humans who are in contact with or consume this water. The interaction between and heterotrophic bacteria is thought to contribute to the development of the blooms. This study strives to provide a specific answer to whether quorum sensing is also a potential mechanism mediating the interaction of different strains/species and the expression by gene or gene in growth. The gene in PCC7806 is associated with quorum sensing and was tested by q-PCR throughout a 30-day growth period. The same was performed for the gene. Heterotrophic bacteria were collected from local water bodies: Cibolo Creek and Leon Creek in San Antonio, Texas. Results revealed that in algal bloom scenarios, there is a similar concentration of gene that is expressed by the cyanobacteria. Gene , however, is not directly associated with algal blooms, but it is related to cyanotoxin production. Toxicity levels increased in experiments with multiple algal strains, and the HSL treatment was not effective at reducing microcystin levels.