Algae enhancing musty odor production by actinomycetes in Lake Kasumigaura

Abstract

The effect of algae on the production of musty-smelling compounds by actinomycetes was studied. Streptomyces spp., causing intensive musty odor, were isolated from hypertrophic Lake Kasumigaura and cultured in association with algae from the same lake. Isolate E and I effectively utilized the cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa and Anabaena spiroides, and the diatom, Synedra acus, as a carbon source and produced a musty-smelling 2-methylisoborneol in the shaken sediment cultures. High populations of algae and actinomycetes, and aerobic condition in the sediment seem responsible for the occurrence of musty odor in Lake Kasumigaura.

Biochemical and Ecological Control of Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol in Source Waters

“…As early as 1985, Wood and coworkers (107) demonstrated that natural reservoir water did not support geosmin production by Streptomyces albidoflavus and other isolates but required a source of enrichment such as found in sediment material and plant debris. In a later study, Sugiura and coworkers (91) reported that sedimented cyanobacteria and diatom cells (Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena spiroides, and Synedra acus) also provided good substrates for VOC production by benthic streptomycete isolates (we note here that in cases where this involved the mineralization of geosmin/2-MIB-producing cyanobacteria, odor could originate from active streptomycete metabolism and/or the release of cell-bound VOCs from the decaying cyanobacteria cells [see below]). As a further significant complication, optimal conditions vary among taxa, and in some cases even nutrient-poor environments can support VOC production by some actinomycetes.…”

“…As previously noted, the relative amounts of these fractions can vary among and within species, while cell-bound VOCs can be transferred rapidly into the dissolved form. One major mechanism for this is via cell degradation by heterotrophic microorganisms (which could include both producers and nonproducers, e.g., fungi and streptomycetes [90,91]). This process, for example, liberates geosmin from the cyanobacterial cell protein matrix.…”

“…Under normal growth conditions, cyanobacteria (5, 109) and streptomycetes (18) excrete very little of these compounds into the medium, and in many flowing waters, their liberation into open water from these attached or floating producers is likely caused by a combination of grazing and environmental stressors, such as desiccation and photooxidation, that can lead to the disintegration of these cells and release of cell contents during sloughing off or water level changes. In addition, the concerted interaction of actinomycetes and cyanobacteria in biofilms could contribute to VOC release in a different way than when these organisms act independently (90,91).…”

Contribution of Streptomyces in sediment to earthy odor in the overlying water in Xionghe Reservoir, China

“…Sediment and mud may provide abundant nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen sources (Vallentyne and Bidwell, 1956) to support geosmin production (Wood et al, 1985). Additionally, the Streptomyces isolated from sediment may effectively utilize cyanobacteria as carbon sources, thereby generating a musty odor (Sugiura et al, 1994).…”

Detection of geosmin from Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum separated by a step density gradient medium from suspended materials in water in Lake Shinji, Japan

“…This might cause the cyanobacteria to distribute to every portion of water from the sediment sample. Sugiura et al (1994) revealed actinomycetes around the colonies of phytoplankton by photomicrograph at a magnification 9400. An optical microscope allowed observation of a shape near 1 lm or larger of filamentous material from actinomycetes, although it could not identify the materials to be unicellular rods or fragments of actinomycetes, as identified by Nielsen et al (2006).…”