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Yongding Liu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • in vivo effects of Aphanizomenon flos aquae dc 1 aphantoxins on gas exchange and ion equilibrium in the zebrafish gill
    Aquatic Toxicology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Delu Zhang, Jing Zhang, Siyi Liu, Jian Kong Zhang, Yongding Liu
    Abstract:

    Abstract Aphantoxins, neurotoxins or paralytic shellfish poisons (PSPs) generated by Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae , are a threat to environmental safety and human health in eutrophic waters worldwide. The molecular mechanisms of neurotoxin function have been studied; however, the effects of these neurotoxins on oxidative stress, ion transport, gas exchange, and branchial ultrastructure in fish gills are not fully understood. Aphantoxins extracted from A. Flos-Aquae DC-1 were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The major ingredients were gonyautoxins 1 and 5 and neosaxitoxin, which comprised 34.04%, 21.28%, and 12.77% of the total, respectively. Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) were administered A. Flos-Aquae DC-1 aphantoxins at 5.3 or 7.61 μg saxitoxin equivalents (eq)/kg (low and high doses, respectively) by intraperitoneal injection. The activities of Na + -K + -ATPase (NKA), carbonic anhydrase (CA), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ultrastructural alterations in chloride and epithelial cells, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) were investigated in the gills during the first 24 h after exposure. Aphantoxins significantly increased the level of ROS and decreased the T-AOC in zebrafish gills from 3 to 12 h post-exposure, suggesting an induction of oxidative stress and inhibition of antioxidant capacity. Reduced activities of NKA and CA demonstrated abnormal ion transport and gas exchange in the gills of aphantoxin-treated fish. Toxin administration also resulted in increased LDH activity and ultrastructural alterations in chloride and epithelial cells, suggesting a disruption of function and structure in zebrafish gills. The observed abnormalities in zebrafish gills occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that aphantoxins or PSPs may inhibit ion transport and gas exchange, increase LDH activity, and result in ultrastructural damage to the gills through elevations in oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant capacity. These effects of aphantoxins in the gills of zebrafish suggest an induction of respiratory toxicity. The parameters investigated in this study may be also considered as biomarkers for studying aphantoxin/PSP exposure and cyanobacterial blooms in nature.

  • morphological alterations and acetylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase inhibition in liver of zebrafish exposed to Aphanizomenon flos aquae dc 1 aphantoxins
    Aquatic Toxicology, 2014
    Co-Authors: Delu Zhang, Gaohong Wang, Jing Zhang, Yongding Liu
    Abstract:

    Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae is a cyanobacterium that produces neurotoxins or paralytic shellfish poisons (PSPs) called aphantoxins, which present threats to environmental safety and human health via eutrophication of water bodies worldwide. Although the molecular mechanisms of this neurotoxin have been studied, many questions remain unsolved, including those relating to in vivo hepatic neurotransmitter inactivation, physiological detoxification and histological and ultrastructural alterations. Aphantoxins extracted from the natural strain of A. Flos-Aquae DC-1 were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The main components were gonyautoxins 1 and 5 (GTX1, GTX5) and neosaxitoxin (neoSTX), which comprised 34.04%, 21.28%, and 12.77% respectively. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed intraperitoneally to 5.3 or 7.61 mu g STX equivalents (eq)/kg (low and high doses, respectively) of A. Flos-Aquae DC-1 aphantoxins. Morphological alterations and changes in neurotransmitter conduction functions of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) in zebrafish liver were detected at different time points 1-24 h post-exposure. Aphantoxin significantly enhanced hepatic alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and histological and ultrastructural damage in zebrafish liver at 3-12 h post-exposure. Toxin exposure increased the reactive oxygen species content and reduced total antioxidative capacity in zebrafish liver, suggesting oxidative stress. AChE and MAO activities were significantly inhibited, suggesting neurotransmitter inactivation/conduction function abnormalities in zebrafish liver. All alterations were dose- and time-dependent. Overall, the results indicate that aphantoxins/PSPs induce oxidative stress through inhibition of AChE and MAO activities, leading to neurotoxicity in zebrafish liver. The above parameters may be useful as bioindicators for investigating aphantoxins/PSPs and cyanobacterial blooms in nature. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  • zebrafish neurotoxicity from aphantoxins cyanobacterial paralytic shellfish poisons psps from Aphanizomenon flos aquae dc 1
    Environmental Toxicology, 2013
    Co-Authors: Delu Zhang, Gaohong Wang, Yongding Liu
    Abstract:

    Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae (A. Flos-Aquae), a cyanobacterium frequently encountered in water blooms worldwide, is source of neurotoxins known as PSPs or aphantoxins that present a major threat to the environment and to human health. Although the molecular mechanism of PSP action is well known, many unresolved questions remain concerning its mechanisms of toxicity. Aphantoxins purified from a natural isolate of A. Flos-Aquae DC-1 were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the major component toxins were the gonyautoxins1 and 5 (GTX1 and GTX5, 34.04% and 21.28%, respectively) and the neosaxitoxin (neoSTX, 12.77%). The LD50 of the aphantoxin preparation was determined to be 11.33 μg/kg (7.75 μg saxitoxin equivalents (STXeq) per kg) following intraperitoneal injection of zebrafish (Danio rerio). To address the neurotoxicology of the aphantoxin preparation, zebrafish were injected with low and high sublethal doses of A. Flos-Aquae DC-1 toxins 7.73 and 9.28 μg /kg (5.3 and 6.4 μg STXeq/kg, respectively) and brain tissues were analyzed by electron microscopy and RT-PCR at different timepoints postinjection. Low-dose aphantoxin exposure was associated with chromatin condensation, cell-membrane blebbing, and the appearance of apoptotic bodies. High-dose exposure was associated with cytoplasmic vacuolization, mitochondrial swelling, and expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum. At early timepoints (3 h) many cells exhibited characteristic features of both apoptosis and necrosis. At later timepoints apoptosis appeared to predominate in the low-dose group, whereas necrosis predominated in the high-dose group. RT-PCR revealed that mRNA levels of the apoptosis-related genes encoding p53, Bax, caspase-3, and c-Jun were upregulated after aphantoxin exposure, but there was no evidence of DNA laddering; apoptosis could take place by pathways independent of DNA fragmentation. These results demonstrate that aphantoxin exposure can cause cell death in zebrafish brain tissue, with low doses inducing apoptosis and higher doses inducing necrosis.

Jutta Fastner - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin producing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon gracile in northeast germany
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2010
    Co-Authors: Andreas Ballot, Jutta Fastner, Claudia Wiedner
    Abstract:

    Neurotoxic paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins, anatoxin-a (ATX), and hepatotoxic cylindrospermopsin (CYN) have been detected in several lakes in northeast Germany during the last 2 decades. They are produced worldwide by members of the nostocalean genera Anabaena, Cylindrospermopsis, and Aphanizomenon. Although no additional sources of PSP toxins and ATX have been identified in German water bodies to date, the observed CYN concentrations cannot be produced solely by Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae, the only known CYN producer in Germany. Therefore, we attempted to identify PSP toxin, ATX, and CYN producers by isolating and characterizing 92 Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, and Anabaenopsis strains from five lakes in northeast Germany. In a polyphasic approach, all strains were morphologically and phylogenetically classified and then tested for PSP toxins, ATX, and CYN by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and screened for the presence of PSP toxin- and CYN-encoding gene fragments. As demonstrated by ELISA and LC-MS, 14 Aphanizomenon gracile strains from Lakes Melang and Scharmutzel produced four PSP toxin variants (gonyautoxin 5 [GTX5], decarbamoylsaxitoxin [dcSTX], saxitoxin [STX], and neosaxitoxin [NEO]). GTX5 was the most prevalent PSP toxin variant among the seven strains from Lake Scharmutzel, and NEO was the most prevalent among the seven strains from Lake Melang. The sxtA gene, which is part of the saxitoxin gene cluster, was found in the 14 PSP toxin-producing A. gracile strains and in 11 non-PSP toxin-producing Aphanizomenon issatschenkoi, A. Flos-Aquae, Anabaena planktonica, and Anabaenopsis elenkinii strains. ATX and CYN were not detected in any of the isolated strains. This study is the first confirming the role of A. gracile as a PSP toxin producer in German water bodies.

  • first occurrence of cylindrospermopsin in freshwater in france
    Environmental Toxicology, 2009
    Co-Authors: Luc Brient, Marion Lengronne, Myriam Bormans, Jutta Fastner
    Abstract:

    Eleven waterbodies in Western France dominated by cyanobacteria of the genera Aphanizomenon and Anabaena were analyzed in September 2006 for microcystins (MC) and cylindrospermopsin (CYN). CYN was detected for the first time in France in four of them in the presence of Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae and in the presence of Anabaena planctonica in the other. The intracellular concentrations of CYN measured by LC-MS/MS ranged between 1.55 and 1.95 μg/L. The occurrence of CYN represents an additional health hazard to MC especially because Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae is the third most common species in freshwaters in France. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009.

  • response of cylindrospermopsin production and release in Aphanizomenon flos aquae cyanobacteria to varying light and temperature conditions
    Harmful Algae, 2009
    Co-Authors: Karina Preusel, Jutta Fastner, Gabriele Wessel, Ingrid Chorus
    Abstract:

    Abstract The influence of light and temperature on the cylindrospermopsin (CYN) production of two Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae strains, isolated from North-eastern German lakes, was investigated with semi-continuously growing cultures. A light gradient from 10 to 60 μE m−2 s−1 in combination with temperatures of 16, 20, and 25 °C was tested. CYN concentrations varied by a maximum factor of 2.7 in strain 10E9 with a significant decrease with increasing temperature. Strain 22D11 showed less pronounced changes, i.e. by a factor of 1.6, and without clear relationship to temperature. Reaction patterns of CYN production to changing light intensities are different at different temperatures. In both strains CYN concentrations increase significantly at 20 °C between 10 and 60 μE m−2 s−1, whereas they decrease significantly at 25 °C in the same light gradient. The amount of synthesised CYN is not reflected by growth rates of the strains in a uniform manner. Nonetheless several temperature–light combinations which constitute physiological stress seem to trigger CYN production and particularly CYN release from cells. The lowest growth rate observed at 16 °C and 60 μE m−2 s−1 of strain 22D11 may reflect photoinhibition due to the lower temperature and related limited CO2-fixation. Under these conditions, extracellular CYN concentrations increased to 58% of total CYN, while the share of extracellular CYN of all other light and temperature regimes was 11–26%. From the results and the experimental design we conclude an active release of the toxin into medium to be more likely than mere leakage from cells.

  • concentrations of particulate and dissolved cylindrospermopsin in 21 Aphanizomenon dominated temperate lakes
    Toxicon, 2007
    Co-Authors: Jacqueline Rucker, Anke Stuken, Ingrid Chorus, Brigitte Nixdorf, Jutta Fastner, Claudia Wiedner
    Abstract:

    Abstract The cyanobacterial toxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is widely distributed in German lakes, but volumetric data for risk assessment are lacking and it is unclear which cyanobacterial species produce CYN in Europe. We therefore analyzed CYN concentration and cyanobacterial composition of 21 German lakes in 2005. CYN was detected in 19 lakes (102 of 115 samples). In total, 45 samples contained particulate CYN only, and 57 contained both dissolved and particulate CYN. The concentrations were 0.002–0.484 μg L−1 for particulate CYN and 0.08–11.75 μg L−1 for dissolved CYN with a maximum of 12.1 μg L−1 total CYN. A drinking water guideline value of 1 μg L−1 proposed by Humpage and Falconer [2003. Oral toxicity of the cyanobacterial toxin CYN in male Swiss albino mice: determination of no observed adverse effect level for deriving a drinking water guideline value. Environ. Toxicol. 18, 94–103] was exceeded in 18 samples from eight lakes due to high concentrations of dissolved CYN. CYN occurrence in the German lakes could not be ascribed to the three known CYN-producing species Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Anabaena bergii and Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae, which were detected in some lakes in low abundances. The highest correlation coefficients were observed between particulate CYN and the native Aphanizomenon gracile. It occurred in 98 CYN-positive samples, was the most abundant Nostocales and was the only Nostocales in five samples. This indicates that A. gracile is a potential CYN producer in German lakes.

  • first report on cylindrospermopsin producing Aphanizomenon flos aquae cyanobacteria isolated from two german lakes
    Toxicon, 2006
    Co-Authors: Karina Preusel, Anke Stuken, Ingrid Chorus, Claudia Wiedner, Jutta Fastner
    Abstract:

    Abstract Three single-filament isolates of Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae from two German lakes were found to produce remarkable amounts of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN). CYN-synthesis of the strains were evidenced both by LC-MS/MS analysis and detection of PCR products of gene fragments which are implicated in the biosynthesis of the toxin. The strains contain CYN in the range of 2.3–6.6 mg g −1 of cellular dry weight. To our knowledge this is the first report of CYN in A. Flos-Aquae .

Sigitas Šulčius - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • genomic characterization of cyanophage vb_aphas cl131 infecting filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos aquae reveals novel insights into virus bacterium interactions
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Sigitas Šulčius, Jolita Kuznecova, Eugenijus Šimoliūnas, Gediminas Alzbutas, Giedrius Gasiūnas, Vykintas Jauniskis, Sini Miettinen, Emelie Nilsson
    Abstract:

    While filamentous cyanobacteria play a crucial role in food web dynamics and biogeochemical cycling of many aquatic ecosystems around the globe, the knowledge regarding the phages infecting them is limited. Here, we describe the complete genome of the virulent cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131 (here, CL 131), a Siphoviridae phage that infects the filamentous diazotrophic bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae in the brackish Baltic Sea. CL 131 features a 112,793-bp double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome encompassing 149 putative open reading frames (ORFs), of which the majority (86%) lack sequence homology to genes with known functions in other bacteriophages or bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CL 131 possibly represents a new evolutionary lineage within the group of cyanophages infecting filamentous cyanobacteria, which form a separate cluster from phages infecting unicellular cyanobacteria. CL 131 encodes a putative type V-U2 CRISPR-Cas system with one spacer (out of 10) targeting a DNA primase pseudogene in a cyanobacterium and a putative type II toxin-antitoxin system, consisting of a GNAT family N-acetyltransferase and a protein of unknown function containing the PRK09726 domain (characteristic of HipB antitoxins). Comparison of CL 131 proteins to reads from Baltic Sea and other available fresh- and brackish-water metagenomes and analysis of CRISPR-Cas arrays in publicly available A. Flos-Aquae genomes demonstrated that phages similar to CL 131 are present and dynamic in the Baltic Sea and share a common history with their hosts dating back at least several decades. In addition, different CRISPR-Cas systems within individual A. Flos-Aquae genomes targeted several sequences in the CL 131 genome, including genes related to virion structure and morphogenesis. Altogether, these findings revealed new genomic information for exploring viral diversity and provide a model system for investigation of virus-host interactions in filamentous cyanobacteria.IMPORTANCE The genomic characterization of novel cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131 and the analysis of its genomic features in the context of other viruses, metagenomic data, and host CRISPR-Cas systems contribute toward a better understanding of aquatic viral diversity and distribution in general and of brackish-water cyanophages infecting filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea in particular. The results of this study revealed previously undescribed features of cyanophage genomes (e.g., self-excising intein-containing putative dCTP deaminase and putative cyanophage-encoded CRISPR-Cas and toxin-antitoxin systems) and can therefore be used to predict potential interactions between bloom-forming cyanobacteria and their cyanophages.

  • characterization of a lytic cyanophage that infects the bloom forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos aquae
    FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2015
    Co-Authors: Sigitas Šulčius, Eugenijus Šimoliūnas, Juozas Staniulis, Judita Koreivienė, Paulius Baltrusis, Rolandas Meskys, Ricardas Paskauskas
    Abstract:

    Vb-AphaS-CL131 is a novel cyanosiphovirus that infects harmful Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae . This cyanophage has an isometric head, 97 nm in diameter and a long, flexible non-contractile tail, 361 nm long. With a genome size of ∼120 kb, it is the second largest cyanosiphovirus isolated to date. The latent period was estimated to be ∼36 h and a single infected cell produces, on average, 218 infectious cyanophages. Cyanophage infection significantly suppresses host biomass production and alters population phenotype.

Claudia Wiedner - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin producing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon gracile in northeast germany
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2010
    Co-Authors: Andreas Ballot, Jutta Fastner, Claudia Wiedner
    Abstract:

    Neurotoxic paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins, anatoxin-a (ATX), and hepatotoxic cylindrospermopsin (CYN) have been detected in several lakes in northeast Germany during the last 2 decades. They are produced worldwide by members of the nostocalean genera Anabaena, Cylindrospermopsis, and Aphanizomenon. Although no additional sources of PSP toxins and ATX have been identified in German water bodies to date, the observed CYN concentrations cannot be produced solely by Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae, the only known CYN producer in Germany. Therefore, we attempted to identify PSP toxin, ATX, and CYN producers by isolating and characterizing 92 Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, and Anabaenopsis strains from five lakes in northeast Germany. In a polyphasic approach, all strains were morphologically and phylogenetically classified and then tested for PSP toxins, ATX, and CYN by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and screened for the presence of PSP toxin- and CYN-encoding gene fragments. As demonstrated by ELISA and LC-MS, 14 Aphanizomenon gracile strains from Lakes Melang and Scharmutzel produced four PSP toxin variants (gonyautoxin 5 [GTX5], decarbamoylsaxitoxin [dcSTX], saxitoxin [STX], and neosaxitoxin [NEO]). GTX5 was the most prevalent PSP toxin variant among the seven strains from Lake Scharmutzel, and NEO was the most prevalent among the seven strains from Lake Melang. The sxtA gene, which is part of the saxitoxin gene cluster, was found in the 14 PSP toxin-producing A. gracile strains and in 11 non-PSP toxin-producing Aphanizomenon issatschenkoi, A. Flos-Aquae, Anabaena planktonica, and Anabaenopsis elenkinii strains. ATX and CYN were not detected in any of the isolated strains. This study is the first confirming the role of A. gracile as a PSP toxin producer in German water bodies.

  • concentrations of particulate and dissolved cylindrospermopsin in 21 Aphanizomenon dominated temperate lakes
    Toxicon, 2007
    Co-Authors: Jacqueline Rucker, Anke Stuken, Ingrid Chorus, Brigitte Nixdorf, Jutta Fastner, Claudia Wiedner
    Abstract:

    Abstract The cyanobacterial toxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is widely distributed in German lakes, but volumetric data for risk assessment are lacking and it is unclear which cyanobacterial species produce CYN in Europe. We therefore analyzed CYN concentration and cyanobacterial composition of 21 German lakes in 2005. CYN was detected in 19 lakes (102 of 115 samples). In total, 45 samples contained particulate CYN only, and 57 contained both dissolved and particulate CYN. The concentrations were 0.002–0.484 μg L−1 for particulate CYN and 0.08–11.75 μg L−1 for dissolved CYN with a maximum of 12.1 μg L−1 total CYN. A drinking water guideline value of 1 μg L−1 proposed by Humpage and Falconer [2003. Oral toxicity of the cyanobacterial toxin CYN in male Swiss albino mice: determination of no observed adverse effect level for deriving a drinking water guideline value. Environ. Toxicol. 18, 94–103] was exceeded in 18 samples from eight lakes due to high concentrations of dissolved CYN. CYN occurrence in the German lakes could not be ascribed to the three known CYN-producing species Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Anabaena bergii and Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae, which were detected in some lakes in low abundances. The highest correlation coefficients were observed between particulate CYN and the native Aphanizomenon gracile. It occurred in 98 CYN-positive samples, was the most abundant Nostocales and was the only Nostocales in five samples. This indicates that A. gracile is a potential CYN producer in German lakes.

  • first report on cylindrospermopsin producing Aphanizomenon flos aquae cyanobacteria isolated from two german lakes
    Toxicon, 2006
    Co-Authors: Karina Preusel, Anke Stuken, Ingrid Chorus, Claudia Wiedner, Jutta Fastner
    Abstract:

    Abstract Three single-filament isolates of Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae from two German lakes were found to produce remarkable amounts of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN). CYN-synthesis of the strains were evidenced both by LC-MS/MS analysis and detection of PCR products of gene fragments which are implicated in the biosynthesis of the toxin. The strains contain CYN in the range of 2.3–6.6 mg g −1 of cellular dry weight. To our knowledge this is the first report of CYN in A. Flos-Aquae .

Emelie Nilsson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • genomic characterization of cyanophage vb_aphas cl131 infecting filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos aquae reveals novel insights into virus bacterium interactions
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Sigitas Šulčius, Jolita Kuznecova, Eugenijus Šimoliūnas, Gediminas Alzbutas, Giedrius Gasiūnas, Vykintas Jauniskis, Sini Miettinen, Emelie Nilsson
    Abstract:

    While filamentous cyanobacteria play a crucial role in food web dynamics and biogeochemical cycling of many aquatic ecosystems around the globe, the knowledge regarding the phages infecting them is limited. Here, we describe the complete genome of the virulent cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131 (here, CL 131), a Siphoviridae phage that infects the filamentous diazotrophic bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae in the brackish Baltic Sea. CL 131 features a 112,793-bp double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome encompassing 149 putative open reading frames (ORFs), of which the majority (86%) lack sequence homology to genes with known functions in other bacteriophages or bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CL 131 possibly represents a new evolutionary lineage within the group of cyanophages infecting filamentous cyanobacteria, which form a separate cluster from phages infecting unicellular cyanobacteria. CL 131 encodes a putative type V-U2 CRISPR-Cas system with one spacer (out of 10) targeting a DNA primase pseudogene in a cyanobacterium and a putative type II toxin-antitoxin system, consisting of a GNAT family N-acetyltransferase and a protein of unknown function containing the PRK09726 domain (characteristic of HipB antitoxins). Comparison of CL 131 proteins to reads from Baltic Sea and other available fresh- and brackish-water metagenomes and analysis of CRISPR-Cas arrays in publicly available A. Flos-Aquae genomes demonstrated that phages similar to CL 131 are present and dynamic in the Baltic Sea and share a common history with their hosts dating back at least several decades. In addition, different CRISPR-Cas systems within individual A. Flos-Aquae genomes targeted several sequences in the CL 131 genome, including genes related to virion structure and morphogenesis. Altogether, these findings revealed new genomic information for exploring viral diversity and provide a model system for investigation of virus-host interactions in filamentous cyanobacteria.IMPORTANCE The genomic characterization of novel cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131 and the analysis of its genomic features in the context of other viruses, metagenomic data, and host CRISPR-Cas systems contribute toward a better understanding of aquatic viral diversity and distribution in general and of brackish-water cyanophages infecting filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea in particular. The results of this study revealed previously undescribed features of cyanophage genomes (e.g., self-excising intein-containing putative dCTP deaminase and putative cyanophage-encoded CRISPR-Cas and toxin-antitoxin systems) and can therefore be used to predict potential interactions between bloom-forming cyanobacteria and their cyanophages.