Co-occurrence of marine and freshwater phycotoxins in oysters, and analysis of possible predictors for management

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were screened for 12 phycotoxins over two years in nearshore waters to collect baseline phycotoxin data and to determine prevalence of phycotoxin co-occurrence in the commercially and ecologically-relevant species. Trace to low concentrations of azaspiracid-1 and -2 (AZA1, AZA2), domoic acid (DA), okadaic acid (OA), and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) were detected, orders of magnitude below seafood safety action levels. Microcystins (MCs), MC-RR and MC-YR, were also found in oysters (maximum: 7.12 μg MC-RR/kg shellfish meat wet weight), warranting consideration of developing action levels for freshwater phycotoxins in marine shellfish. Oysters contained phycotoxins that impair shellfish health: karlotoxin1-1 and 1-3 (KmTx1-1, KmTx1-3), goniodomin A (GDA), and pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2). Co-occurrence of phycotoxins in oysters was common (54%, n = 81). AZAs and DA co-occurred most frequently of the phycotoxins investigated that are a concern for human health (n = 13) and PTX2 and KmTxs co-occurred most frequently amongst the phycotoxins of concern for shellfish health (n = 9). Various harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring methods and tools were assessed for their effectiveness at indicating levels of phycotoxins in oysters. These included co-deployed solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) devices, toxin levels in particulate organic matter (POM, >1.5 μm) and whole water samples and cell concentrations from water samples as determined by microscopy and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The dominant phycotoxin varied between SPATTs and all other phycotoxin sample types, and out of the 11 phycotoxins detected in oysters, only four and seven were detected in POM and whole water respectively, indicating phycotoxin profile mismatch between ecosystem compartments. Nevertheless, there were correlations between DA in oysters and whole water (simple linear regression [LR]: R² = 0.6, p < 0.0001, n = 40), and PTX2 in oysters and SPATTs (LR: R² = 0.3, p = 0.001, n = 36), providing additional monitoring tools for these phycotoxins, but oyster samples remain the best overall indicators of seafood safety.

Monitoring of cyanobacterial blooms and assessing polymer-enhanced microfiltration and ultrafiltration for microcystin removal in an Italian drinking water treatment plant

The water intake of a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in Central Italy was monitored over six bloom seasons for cyanotoxin severity, which supplies drinking water from an oligo-mesotrophic lake with microcystin levels up to 10.3 μg/L. The historical data showed that the water temperature did not show extreme/large seasonal variation and it was not correlated either with cyanobacterial growth or microcystin concentration. Among all parameters, the cyanobacteria growth was negatively correlated with humidity and manganese and positively correlated with atmospheric temperature. No significant correlation was found between microcystin concentration and the climatic parameters. Polymer(chitosan)-enhanced microfiltration (PEMF) and ultrafiltration (PEUF) were further tested as an alternative microcystin removal approach from dense cyanobacteria-rich flows. The dominant cyanobacteria in the water intake, Planktothrix rubescens, was isolated and enriched to simulate cyanobacterial blooms in the lake. The PEMF and PEUF were separately applied to enriched P. rubescens culture (PC) (microcystin = 1.236 μg/L) as well as to the sand filter backwash water (SFBW) of the DWTP where microcystin concentration was higher than 12 μg/L. The overall microcystin removal rates from the final effluent of PC (always <0.15 μg/L) were between 90.1-94.7% and 89.5-95.4% using 4 and 20 mg chitosan/L, respectively. Meanwhile, after the PEMF and PEUF of SFBW, the final effluent contained only 0.099 and 0.057 μg microcystin/L with an overall removal >99%. The presented results are the first from the application of chitosan to remove P. rubescens as well as the implementation of PEMF and PEUF on SFBW to remove cyanobacterial cells and associated toxins.

Effects of the Marine Biotoxins Okadaic Acid and Dinophysistoxins on Fish

Natural high proliferations of toxin-producing microorganisms in marine and freshwater environments result in dreadful consequences at the socioeconomically and environmental level due to water and seafood contamination. Monitoring programs and scientific evidence point to harmful algal blooms (HABs) increasing in frequency and intensity as a result of global climate alterations. Among marine toxins, the okadaic acid (OA) and the related dinophysistoxins (DTX) are the most frequently reported in EU waters, mainly in shellfish species. These toxins are responsible for human syndrome diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). Fish, like other marine species, are also exposed to HABs and their toxins. However, reduced attention has been given to exposure, accumulation, and effects on fish of DSP toxins, such as OA. The present review intends to summarize the current knowledge of the impact of DSP toxins and to identify the main issues needing further research. From data reviewed in this work, it is clear that exposure of fish to DSP toxins causes a range of negative effects, from behavioral and morphological alterations to death. However, there is still much to be investigated about the ecological and food safety risks related to contamination of fish with DSP toxins.

The tide turns: Episodic and localized cross-contamination of a California coastline with cyanotoxins

The contamination of coastal ecosystems from a variety of toxins of marine algal origin is a common and well-documented situation along the coasts of the United States and globally. The occurrence of toxins originating from cyanobacteria along marine coastlines is much less studied, and little information exists on whether toxins from marine and freshwater sources co-occur regularly. The current study focused on the discharge of cyanotoxins from a coastal lagoon (Santa Clara River Estuary) as a consequence of an extreme tide event (King Tides; December 3-5, 2017) resulting in a breach of the berm separating the lagoon from the ocean. Monthly monitoring in the lagoon throughout 2017 documented more than a dozen co-occurring cyanobacterial genera, as well as multiple algal and cyanobacterial toxins. Biotoxin monitoring before and following the King Tide event using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) in the lagoon and along the coast revealed the co-occurrence of microcystins, anatoxin, domoic acid, and other toxins on multiple dates and locations. Domoic acid was ubiquitously present in SPATT deployed in the lagoon and along the coast. Microcystins were also commonly detected in both locations, although the beach berm retained the lagoonal water for much of the year. Mussels collected along the coast contained microcystins in approximately half the samples, particularly following the King Tide event. Anatoxin was observed in SPATT only in late December, following the breach of the berm. Our findings indicate both episodic and persistent occurrence of both cyanotoxins and marine toxins may commonly contaminate coastlines in proximity to cyanobacteria-laden creeks and lagoons.

Distribution of microcystins in environmental multimedia and their bioaccumulation characteristics in marine benthic organisms in the Geum River Estuary, South Korea

Spatio-temporal distributions and bioaccumulation characteristics of freshwater cyanobacterial toxins, such as microcystins (MCs) in the Geum River Estuary, South Korea, were investigated during summer. Environmental multimedia samples (water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediments) and tidal flat organisms (polychaetes, decapods, amphipods, and bivalves) were collected from regions inside and outside of the estuary dam for MCs analysis. Phytoplankton communities in the Geum River (freshwater) and estuarine area (brackish water) were also analyzed in order to understand the relationship with MCs concentrations. Seasonal variation in the structure of phytoplankton communities was detected in the Geum River, with a relatively high density of Cyanophyta in summer. MC concentrations were strongly correlated to water temperature, chlorophyll a, and cyanobacterial density. MC-LR was the most abundant MC variants in environmental samples. Dissolved MCs remained for longer periods and were more widely distributed in the coastal environments compared to particulate MCs. The distribution coefficients between water and SPM (K_d-SPM) and between water and sediments (K_d-sediment) of MCs showed that the phase shift of MCs in the environmental samples occurred in the estuary. K_d-SPM declined from the inside to outside regions of the estuary dam, and was mainly attributed to differences in the half-lives of MCs in dissolved (4.7 d for MC-LR) and particulate phases (0.44-0.52 d for MC-LR). Species-specific bioaccumulation of MCs occurred in tidal flat organisms, with relatively high bioaccumulation factors of MCs being detected in polychaetes and decapods compared to amphipods and bivalves. Overall, this study advances our understanding on the distribution, transport, fate, and bioaccumulation of MCs in estuarine and coastal environments.

Aberrant Expressional Profiling of Known MicroRNAs in the Liver of Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) Following Microcystin-LR Exposure Based on samllRNA Sequencing

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) poses a serious threat to human health due to its hepatotoxicity. However, the specific molecular mechanism of miRNAs in MC-LR-induced liver injury has not been determined. The aim of the present study was to determine whether miRNAs are regulated in MC-LR-induced liver toxicity by using high-throughput sequencing. Our research demonstrated that 53 miRNAs and 319 miRNAs were significantly changed after 24 h of treatment with MC-LR (50 and 200 μg/kg, respectively) compared with the control group. GO enrichment analysis revealed that these target genes were related to cellular, metabolic, and single-organism processes. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs in fish liver were primarily involved in the insulin signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, and transcriptional misregulation in cancer. Moreover, we hypothesized that 4 miRNAs (miR-16, miR-181a-3p, miR-451, and miR-223) might also participate in MC-LR-induced toxicity in multiple organs of the fish and play regulatory roles according to the qPCR analysis results. Taken together, our results may help to elucidate the biological function of miRNAs in MC-LR-induced toxicity.

Optimization of extraction methods for quantification of microcystin-LR and microcystin-RR in fish, vegetable, and soil matrices using UPLC-MS/MS

Human-driven environmental change has increased the occurrence of harmful cyanobacteria blooms in aquatic ecosystems. Concomitantly, exposure to microcystin (MC), a cyanobacterial toxin that can accumulate in animals, edible plants, and agricultural soils, has become a growing public health concern. For accurate estimation of health risks and timely monitoring, availability of reliable detection methods is imperative. Nonetheless, quantitative analysis of MCs in many types of biological and environmental samples has proven challenging because matrix interferences can hinder sample preparation and extraction procedures, leading to poor MC recovery. Herein, controlled experiments were conducted to enhance the use of ultra-performance liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) to recover MC-LR and MC-RR at a range of concentrations in seafood (fish), vegetables (lettuce), and environmental (soil) matrices. Although these experiments offer insight into detailed technical aspects of the MC homogenization and extraction process (i.e., sonication duration and centrifugation speed during homogenization; elution solvent to use during the final extraction), they centered on identifying the best (1) solvent system to use during homogenization (2-3 tested per matrix) and (2) single-phase extraction (SPE) column type (3 tested) to use for the final extraction. The best procedure consisted of the following, regardless of sample type: centrifugation speed = 4200 × g; elution volume = 8 mL; elution solvent = 80% methanol; and SPE column type = hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB), with carbon also being satisfactory for fish. For sonication, 2 min, 5 min, and 10 min were optimal for fish, lettuce, and soil matrices, respectively. Using the recommended HLB column, the solvent systems that led to the highest recovery of MCs were methanol:water:butanol for fish, methanol:water for lettuce, and EDTA-Na₄P₂O₇ for soils. Given that the recommended procedures resulted in average MC-LR and MC-RR recoveries that ranged 93 to 98%, their adoption for the preparation of samples with complex matrices before UPLC-MS/MS analysis is encouraged.

Blurred lines: Multiple freshwater and marine algal toxins at the land-sea interface of San Francisco Bay, California

San Francisco Bay (SFB) is a eutrophic estuary that harbors both freshwater and marine toxigenic organisms that are responsible for harmful algal blooms. While there are few commercial fishery harvests within SFB, recreational and subsistence harvesting for shellfish is common. Coastal shellfish are monitored for domoic acid and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), but within SFB there is no routine monitoring for either toxin. Dinophysis shellfish toxins (DSTs) and freshwater microcystins are also present within SFB, but not routinely monitored. Acute exposure to any of these toxin groups has severe consequences for marine organisms and humans, but chronic exposure to sub-lethal doses, or synergistic effects from multiple toxins, are poorly understood and rarely addressed. This study documents the occurrence of domoic acid and microcystins in SFB from 2011 to 2016, and identifies domoic acid, microcystins, DSTs, and PSTs in marine mussels within SFB in 2012, 2014, and 2015. At least one toxin was detected in 99% of mussel samples, and all four toxin suites were identified in 37% of mussels. The presence of these toxins in marine mussels indicates that wildlife and humans who consume them are exposed to toxins at both sub-lethal and acute levels. As such, there are potential deleterious impacts for marine organisms and humans and these effects are unlikely to be documented. These results demonstrate the need for regular monitoring of marine and freshwater toxins in SFB, and suggest that co-occurrence of multiple toxins is a potential threat in other ecosystems where freshwater and seawater mix.

Detection of a Planktothrix agardhii Bloom in Portuguese Marine Coastal Waters

Cyanobacteria blooms are frequent in freshwaters and are responsible for water quality deterioration and human intoxication. Although, not a new phenomenon, concern exists on the increasing persistence, scale, and toxicity of these blooms. There is evidence, in recent years, of the transfer of these toxins from inland to marine waters through freshwater outflow. However, the true impact of these blooms in marine habitats has been overlooked. In the present work, we describe the detection of Planktothrix agardhii, which is a common microcystin producer, in the Portuguese marine coastal waters nearby a river outfall in an area used for shellfish harvesting and recreational activities. P. agardhii was first observed in November of 2016 in seawater samples that are in the scope of the national shellfish monitoring system. This occurrence was followed closely between November and December of 2016 by a weekly sampling of mussels and water from the sea pier and adjacent river mouth with salinity ranging from 35 to 3. High cell densities were found in the water from both sea pier and river outfall, reaching concentrations of 4,960,608 cells·L⁻¹ and 6810.3 × 10⁶ cells·L⁻¹ respectively. Cultures were also established with success from the environment and microplate salinity growth assays showed that the isolates grew at salinity 10. HPLC-PDA analysis of total microcystin content in mussel tissue, water biomass, and P. agardhii cultures did not retrieve a positive result. In addition, microcystin related genes were not detected in the water nor cultures. So, the P. agardhii present in the environment was probably a non-toxic strain. This is, to our knowledge, the first report on a P. agardhii bloom reaching the sea and points to the relevance to also monitoring freshwater harmful phytoplankton and related toxins in seafood harvesting and recreational coastal areas, particularly under the influence of river plumes.

Widespread dispersal and bio-accumulation of toxic microcystins in benthic marine ecosystems

Freshwater cyanobacteria produce toxic microcystins (MCs), which travel from freshwater areas into the sea. The MCs produced by cyanobacteria in a freshwater reservoir were discharged frequently into the adjacent Isahaya Bay, remained in the surface sediments, and then accumulated in various macrobenthic animals on the seafloor. The MCs were transported further outside of Isahaya Bay (Ariake Bay), and the median values of the MC contents in the sediments were in the same levels in both bays, while their temporal variations were also similar during the study period. Therefore, the fluctuations of the MC contents in the surface sediments were physically controlled by the timing of the discharge from the reservoir. The MC contents in polychaetes and oysters collected in Isahaya Bay increased markedly during winter. The median values of the carbon-based MC contents in the sediments, primary consumers, and secondary consumers in the bay were 87, 160, and 250 ngMC gC^-1, respectively. These results demonstrated bio-accumulation at lower trophic levels in benthic marine ecosystems. An understanding of the processes occurring between sediments and macrobenthic animals is important for clarifying MC dynamics in ecosystems.

Halogen Radicals Promote the Photodegradation of Microcystins in Estuarine Systems

The transport of microcystin, a hepatotoxin produced by cyanobacteria (e.g., Microcystis aeruginosa), to estuaries can adversely affect estuarine and coastal ecosystems. We evaluated whether halogen radicals (i.e., reactive halogen species (RHS)) could significantly contribute to microcystin photodegradation during transport within estuaries. Experiments in synthetic and natural water samples demonstrated that the presence of seawater halides increased quantum yields for microcystin indirect photodegradation by factors of 3-6. Additional experiments indicated that photoproduced RHS were responsible for this effect. Despite the fact that dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations decreased in more saline waters, the calculated photochemical half-life of microcystin decreased 6-fold with increasing salinity along a freshwater-estuarine transect due to the halide-associated increase in quantum yield. Modeling of microcystin photodegradation along this transect indicated that the time scale for RHS-mediated microcystin photodegradation is comparable to the time scale of transport. Microcystin concentrations decline by ∼98% along the transect when considering photodegradation by RHS, but only by ∼54% if this pathway were ignored. These results suggest the importance of considering RHS-mediated photodegradation in future models of microcystin fate in freshwater-estuarine systems.

Glutathione Transferases Responses Induced by Microcystin-LR in the Gills and Hepatopancreas of the Clam Venerupis philippinarum

A multi-method approach was employed to compare the responses of Glutatione Transferases (GSTs) in the gills and hepatopancreas of Venerupis philippinarum to microcystins (MCs) toxicity. In this way, using the cytosolic fraction, the enzymatic activity of GSTs, superoxide dismutase (SOD), serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PPP2) along with the gene expression levels of four GST isoforms (pi, mu, sigma1, sigma2) were investigated in both organs of the clams exposed for 24 h to 10, 50 and 100 μg L⁻¹ of MC-LR. Cytosolic GSTs (cGSTs) from both organs of the high dose exposed clams were purified by glutathione-agarose affinity chromatography, characterized kinetically and the changes in the expression of cGSTs of the gills identified using a proteomic approach. MC-LR caused an increase in GST enzyme activity, involved in conjugation reactions, in both gills and hepatopancreas (100 μg L⁻¹ exposure). SOD activity, an indicator of oxidative stress, showed significantly elevated levels in the hepatopancreas only (50 and 100 μg L⁻¹ exposure). No significant changes were found in PPP2 activity, the main target of MCs, for both organs. Transcription responses revealed an up-regulation of sigma2 in the hepatopancreas at the high dose, but no significant changes were detected in the gills. Kinetic analysis evidenced differences between gills of exposed and non-exposed extracts. Using proteomics, qualitative and quantitative differences were found between the basal and inducible cGSTs. Overall, results suggest a distinct role of GST system in counteracting MCs toxicity between the gills and the hepatopancreas of V. philippinarum, revealing different roles between GST isoforms within and among both organs.