A novel cyanolytic bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens BG‐E as a potential biological control agent for freshwater bloom‐forming cyanobacteria Pseudanabaena spp.

Abstract The majority of bacterial antagonists identified to date are active against Microcystis . Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and characterize novel cyanolytic bacterial strains antagonistic against bloom‐forming filamentous cyanobacteria. The bacterial strain BG‐E isolated from the Bandagiriya Wewa in Sri Lanka was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens (MZ007859) based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. BG‐E showed 82% and 73% cyanolytic activity (CA) against Pseudanabaena sp. LW2 (MW288948) and Pseudanabaena lonchoides LW1 (MW288940), respectively, after 10 days of inoculation. The light microscopic images affirmed the complete disintegration in the filamentous structures of the tested Pseudanabaena species. The bacterial cell density of 15% v/v showed the CA with 95% and 89% cell lysis, respectively, in P. lonchoides and Pseudanabaena sp. LW2. Moreover, the results showed that >50% CA could be achieved by 0.100 and 1.00 (OD 730 ) cell densities for these same species. The highest CA of the cell‐free supernatant of BG‐E against P. lonchoides and bacterial culture against Pseudanabaena sp. LW2 illustrated the species‐specific mode of action of BG‐E. Although BG‐E efficiently lysed the tested cyanobacterial species, the results of the MC‐biodegradation assay confirmed its inability to degrade MC‐LR cyanotoxin. Further, the BG‐E strain lacks the mlr ABCD gene cluster which is known to be responsible for the enzymatic degradation of MCs. The overall findings highlighted the applicability of P. fluorescens BG‐E as a biological controlling agent to terminate blooms of freshwater filamentous cyanobacteria genus Pseudanabaena. The incorporation of cyanotoxin‐degrading heterotrophic bacteria is recommended as a means of controlling toxic Pseudanabaena blooms.