Tang X, J Chen, WH Wang, TW Liu, J Zhang, YH Gao, ZM Pei and HL Zheng.Environmental Pollution, 2011. 159: 3784-3792.

This study characterized the changes of nitric oxide (NO) production during the growth ofMicrocystis aerugrinosa, a cyanobacterium which usually cause cyanobacterial blooms. Results showed a drastic NO release accompanying with cell density and Chl-a content sharp rises whenM. aerugrinosagrew from fifth day to sixth day. Moreover, high N:P ratio accelerated the cyanobacterial growth and NO burst. Sodium nitroprusside, an exogenous NO donor, promotedM. aerugrinosagrowth with the optimal concentration of 0.1 mg/L. Experiments by supplementing with sodium nitrite and L-arginine demonstrated NO production inM. aerugrinosacells was mainly through nitrate reductase (NR) pathway while minorly through NO synthase pathway. All these data suggestedM. aerugrinosaproduced increasing NO during its growth mainly by NR pathway, during which NO positively regulated the growth ofM. aerugrinosa.