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sxtA-Based Quantitative Molecular Assay To Identify Saxitoxin-Producing Harmful Algal Blooms in Marine Waters

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 10:49 authored by Murray, SA, Wiese, M, Stuken, A, Brett, S, Kellmann, R, Gustaaf HallegraeffGustaaf Hallegraeff, Neilan, BA
The recent identification of genes involved in the production of the potent neurotoxin and keystone metabolite saxitoxin (STX) in marine eukaryotic phytoplankton has allowed us for the first time to develop molecular genetic methods to investigate the chemical ecology of harmful algal blooms in situ. We present a novel method for detecting and quantifying the potential for STX production in marine environmental samples. Our assay detects a domain of the gene sxtA that encodes a unique enzyme putatively involved in the sxt pathway in marine dinoflagellates, sxtA4. A product of the correct size was recovered from nine strains of four species of STX-producing Alexandrium and Gymnodinium catenatum and was not detected in the non-STX-producing Alexandrium species, other dinoflagellate cultures, or an environmental sample that did not contain known STX-producing species. However, sxtA4 was also detected in the non-STX-producing strain of Alexandrium tamarense, Tasmanian ribotype. We investigated the copy number of sxtA4 in three strains of Alexandrium catenella and found it to be relatively constant among strains. Using our novel method, we detected and quantified sxtA4 in three environmental blooms of Alexandrium catenella that led to STX uptake in oysters. We conclude that this method shows promise as an accurate, fast, and cost-effective means of quantifying the potential for STX production in marine samples and will be useful for biological oceanographic research and harmful algal bloom monitoring.

Funding

Australian Research Council

History

Publication title

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Volume

77

Issue

19

Pagination

7050-7057

ISSN

0099-2240

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Amer Soc Microbiology

Place of publication

1752 N St Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20036-2904

Rights statement

Copyright 2011 American Society for Microbiology

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Fisheries - aquaculture not elsewhere classified

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