Azolla as a Safe Food: Suppression of Cyanotoxin-Related Genes and Cyanotoxin Production in Its Symbiont, Nostoc azollae.

ABSTRACT: The floating freshwater fern Azolla is the only plant that retains an endocyanobiont, Nostoc azollae (aka Anabaena azollae), during its sexual and asexual reproduction. The increased interest in Azolla as a potential source of food and its unique evolutionary history have raised questions about its cyanotoxin content and genome. Cyanotoxins are potent toxins synthesized by cyanobacteria which have an anti-herbivore effect but have also been linked to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, liver and kidney failure, muscle paralysis, and other severe health issues. In this study, we investigated 48 accessions of Azolla-Nostoc symbiosis for the presence of genes coding microcystin, nodularin, cylindrospermopsin and saxito

SUBMITTER: Bujak JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11479175 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature