Lyngbya majuscula
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Lyngbya aestuarii |
Lyngbya majuscula is a species in the genus Lyngbya (a seaweed). It is a cyanobacteria that is one of the causes of the human skin irritation seaweed dermatitis.[1] It is also known as Fireweed[2].
"Cyanobacteria are an ancient and diverse group of photosynthetic microorganisms, which inhabit many different and extreme environments. This indicates a high degree of biological adaptation, which has enabled these organisms to thrive and compete effectively in nature. The filamentous cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula, produces several promising antifungal and cytotoxic agents, including laxaphycin A and B and curacin A."[3]
This organism appears to be on the increase due to pollution and over-fishing. Nutrients such as nitrogen and human waste flow to the ocean due to rain runoff and sewers. These nutrients increase the population of microbes, which in turn remove oxygen from the water. Lack of fish to eat the microbes furthers the microbe populations. Low oxygen is the environment that Cyanobacteria evolved for. [1]
[edit] Sources
- ^ dermnetnz.org article Seaweed Dermatitis
- ^ [http://www.uq.edu.au/research/index.html?page=37163&pid=37143 University of Queensland research on fireweed
- ^ NCBI article Culture of the marine cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula (Oscillatoriaceae), for bioprocess intensified production of cyclic and linear lipopeptides.
[edit] Further reading
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