279
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017
M. Kumar, P. Ralph (eds.), Systems Biology of Marine Ecosystems,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-62094-7_14
Chapter 14
Bioactive Small Molecules Mediate
Microalgal-Bacterial Interactions
Leen Labeeuw, Anna R. Bramucci, and Rebecca J. Case
Abstract Microalgae are a diverse group of photosynthetic microorganisms found
throughout the eukaryote tree. Although unicellular, they have complex relationships with the bacteria that surround them. These interactions can range from obligate symbiosis, where the bacterium is required for host survival, to pathogenic,
where the bacterial pathogen can kill the host alga. The nature of these algalbacterial interactions appear to be tightly regulated by both algal and bacterial bioactive molecules, creating a complex system of chemical interactions through which
these different species can chemically communicate with each other and directly
alter the other physiology. In this way the bacterium is able to exploit (and manipulate) its host to become a more conducive habitat (e.g. algal phycosphere, aquatic
biofilms, etc.) for bacterial survival. However, the identity of many of these small
molecules and the mechanisms by which they control these exchanges are often
overlooked or misunderstood. The ability to eavesdrop on the chemical cross talk
occurring between algae and bacteria may open up a vast potential for new knowledge, relating to understanding bacterial-algal relationships, evolution and possibly
hijacking this communication to better control microbes in commercial systems.
This chapter outlines some of the known bioactive chemicals that mediate these
microalgal-bacterial interactions, highlighting what is currently known about these
systems and areas that need further investigation.
Keywords Microalgae • Bacteria • Microbial behaviour/signalling • Microbial
ecology • Bioactive small molecules
L. Labeeuw
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology,
Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
A.R. Bramucci • R.J. Case (*)
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
e-mail: rcase@ualberta.ca
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017
M. Kumar, P. Ralph (eds.), Systems Biology of Marine Ecosystems,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-62094-7_14
Chapter 14
Bioactive Small Molecules Mediate
Microalgal-Bacterial Interactions
Leen Labeeuw, Anna R. Bramucci, and Rebecca J. Case
Abstract Microalgae are a diverse group of photosynthetic microorganisms found
throughout the eukaryote tree. Although unicellular, they have complex relationships with the bacteria that surround them. These interactions can range from obligate symbiosis, where the bacterium is required for host survival, to pathogenic,
where the bacterial pathogen can kill the host alga. The nature of these algalbacterial interactions appear to be tightly regulated by both algal and bacterial bioactive molecules, creating a complex system of chemical interactions through which
these different species can chemically communicate with each other and directly
alter the other physiology. In this way the bacterium is able to exploit (and manipulate) its host to become a more conducive habitat (e.g. algal phycosphere, aquatic
biofilms, etc.) for bacterial survival. However, the identity of many of these small
molecules and the mechanisms by which they control these exchanges are often
overlooked or misunderstood. The ability to eavesdrop on the chemical cross talk
occurring between algae and bacteria may open up a vast potential for new knowledge, relating to understanding bacterial-algal relationships, evolution and possibly
hijacking this communication to better control microbes in commercial systems.
This chapter outlines some of the known bioactive chemicals that mediate these
microalgal-bacterial interactions, highlighting what is currently known about these
systems and areas that need further investigation.
Keywords Microalgae • Bacteria • Microbial behaviour/signalling • Microbial
ecology • Bioactive small molecules
L. Labeeuw
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology,
Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
A.R. Bramucci • R.J. Case (*)
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
e-mail: rcase@ualberta.ca