Cyanotoxins as an Emerging Risk – Molecular Methods for Detection (Study In Bulgaria)
Cyanotoxins as an Emerging Risk – Molecular Methods for Detection (Study In Bulgaria)

Author(s): Krasimira Vasileva, Stanimira Arsova, Vessela Georgieva, Tzveta Georgieva
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Geography, Regional studies, Environmental Geography, Sociology, Health and medicine and law
Published by: Национално издателство за образование и наука „Аз-буки“
Keywords: toxic microcystins; qPCR
Summary/Abstract: Occurrences of cyanobacterial mass in freshwater lakes are usually formed by Anabaena, Microcystis and Planktothrix, which can produce cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxins - microcystins. Hepatotoxins are inhibitors of protein phosphatases that cause bleeding in the liver of humans and animals, but also show strong tumor-promoter activity. Toxic cyanobacterial species are a risk factor for the environment and human health that requires their early detection at low concentrations. Such an approach is the application of methods for detecting DNA from toxic microalgae in water samples by polymerase chain reaction. Microcystis contain the peptide synthetase gene cluster, which is a complex of 10 genes, mcy (A-J), which control the synthesis of polyketides and peptide synthetases associated with microcystin synthesis. Only microcystin-producing cyanobacteria carry the mcy genes that can be used as a biomarker for early detection. Also the genetic differences within this gene cluster determines the level of production of secreted microcystins. The aim of the present study is early detection of toxic microalgae by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in samples taken from Bulgarian dams. Two test approaches were used - TaqMan and SYBR Green I dye. The obtained results prove the presence of cyanobacteria in all the samples and they were also compared with hydrobiological analysis which proves them. PCR methods provide qualitative results that can be used for early detection for potentially toxic cells at the beginning of the bloom, when the toxin concentrations are too low to be detected.

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