β-cyclocitral, a grazer defence signal unique to the cyanobacterium Microcystis

β-Cyclocitral is often present in eutrophic waters and is a well known source of airborne and drinking water malodor, but its production and functional ecology are unresolved. This volatile organic compound (VOC) is derived from the catalytic breakdown of β-carotene, and evidence indicates that it is produced by the activation of a specific carotene oxygenase by all species of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis. Previous work has shown that β-cyclocitral affects grazer behavior, but the nature of this interaction and its influence on predator-prey dynamics was unresolved. The present study combined analytical and behavioral studies to evaluate this interaction by using Microcystis NRC-1 and Daphnia magna. Results showed that β-cyclocitral was undetectable in live Microcystis cells, or present only at extremely low concentrations (2.6 amol /cell). In contrast, cell rupture activated a rapid carotene oxygenase reaction, which produced high amounts (77 ± 5.5 amol β-cyclocitral/cell), corresponding to a calculated maximum intracellular concentration of 2.2 mM. The behavioral response of Daphnia magna to β-cyclocitral was evaluated in a bbe© Daphnia toximeter, where β-cyclocitral treatments induced a marked increase in swimming velocity. Acclimation took place within a few minutes, when Daphnia returned to normal swimming velocity while still exposed to β-cyclocitral. The minimum VOC concentration (odor threshold) that elicited a significant grazer response was 750 nM β-cyclocitral, some 2,900 times lower than the per capita yield of a growing Microcystis cell after activation. Under natural conditions, initial grazer-related or other mode of cell rupture would lead to the development of a robust β-cyclocitral microzone around Microcystis colonies, thus acting as both a powerful repellent and signal of poor quality food to grazers.