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Jablonska M, Cerasino L, Boscaini A, Capelli C, Greco C, Krivograd Klemenčič A, Mischke U, Salmaso N, Kurmayer R. Distribution of toxigenic cyanobacteria in Alpine lakes and rivers as revealed by molecular screening. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 258:121783. [PMID: 38805870 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The increasing frequency of cyanobacteria blooms in waterbodies caused by ecosystem eutrophication could endanger human health. This risk can be mitigated by effective monitoring incorporating molecular methods. To date, most molecular studies on toxigenic cyanobacteria have been limited to microcystins (MCs), disregarding other cyanotoxins, to freshwater planktic habitats while ignoring benthic habitats, and to limited geographic areas (usually one or a few specific waterbodies). In this study, we used PCR-based methods including PCR product sequencing and chemical-analytical methods (LC-MS/MS) to screen many plankton (n = 123) and biofilm samples (n = 113) originating from 29 Alpine lakes and 18 rivers for their cyanotoxin production potential. Both mcyE (indicating MC synthesis) and anaC (indicating anatoxin (ATX) synthesis) gene fragments were able to qualitatively predict MC or ATX occurrence. The abundance of mcyE gene fragments was significantly related to MC concentrations in plankton samples (R2 = 0.61). mcyE gene fragments indicative of MC synthesis were most abundant in planktic samples (65 %) and were assigned to the genera Planktothrix and Microcystis. However, mcyE rarely occurred in biofilms of lakes and rivers, i.e., 4 % and 5 %, respectively, and were assigned to Microcystis, Planktothrix, and Nostoc. In contrast, anaC gene fragments occurred frequently in planktic samples (14 % assigned to Tychonema, Phormidium (Microcoleus), and Oscillatoria), but also in biofilms of lakes (49 %) and rivers (18 %) and were assigned to the genera Phormidium, Oscillatoria, and Nostocales. The cyrJ gene fragment indicating cylindrospermopsin synthesis occurred only once in plankton (assigned to Dolichospermum), while saxitoxin synthesis potential was not detected. For plankton samples, monomictic and less eutrophic conditions were positively related to mcyE/MC occurrence frequency, while oligomictic conditions were related to anaC/ATX frequency. The anaC/ATX frequency in biofilm was related to the lake habitats generally showing higher biodiversity as revealed from metabarcoding in a parallel study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maša Jablonska
- National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 121, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Research Department for Limnology, Universität Innsbruck, Mondseestrasse 9, 5310 Mondsee, Austria.
| | - Leonardo Cerasino
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Adriano Boscaini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Camilla Capelli
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Mendrisio, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Greco
- Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Ute Mischke
- Bavarian Environment Agency, Ref. 83, Wielenbach, Germany
| | - Nico Salmaso
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rainer Kurmayer
- Research Department for Limnology, Universität Innsbruck, Mondseestrasse 9, 5310 Mondsee, Austria; Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Purker M, Dobrovolny S, Kreuml M, Hufnagl P, Indra A, Kurmayer R. Quantitative relationships among high-throughput sequencing, cyanobacteria toxigenic genotype abundance and microcystin occurrence in bathing waters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:165934. [PMID: 37543325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Toxin-producing cyanobacteria pose significant threats to human and animal health if exposed during recreational activities in bathing waters. To better safeguard public health and reduce health risks during the bathing season, an effective monitoring and management strategy is required. Molecular tools used to monitor toxigenic cyanobacteria have been evaluated on the basis of the efficiency and applicability of the method used to (i) establish an early-warning monitoring strategy for EU bathing water sites using both targeted quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and non-targeted high-throughput sequencing (HTS) genotype analysis and (ii) to compare the toxigenic potential of cyanobacteria with actual microcystin (MC) occurrence and concentrations. For this purpose, 16 bathing water sites were monitored according to the bathing water directive (BWD) of the European Union (EU) during the bathing season of the summer of 2020 in eastern Austria. The cyanobacterial community composition was analyzed through HTS and qPCR by targeting the microcystin synthetase B gene (mcyB), which indicates MC synthesis within the genera Microcystis and Planktothrix. Within the genus Microcystis, which was identified as the primary MC producer, the mcyB genotypes formed stable subpopulations that increased linearly in correlation with the total Microcystis population. Notably, the HTS cell equivalents assigned to Microcystis and Planktothrix correlated with the corresponding qPCR estimates of genotype abundance, which serves as a confirmation of the suitability of (semi)-quantitative sequencing through HTS. In addition to the elevated trophic state, reduced transparency, increasing water temperatures, as well as cyanobacterial HTS read numbers and Microcystis cell number equivalents per mL estimated through qPCR, were associated with positive MC samples. Therefore, in combination with the monitoring of standard environmental parameters, the use of HTS and qPCR techniques is considered highly useful to ensure the timely identification of health risks to recreational users, as mandated by the BWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Purker
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene - Center for Anthropogenic Infections, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Währinger Straße 25a, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene - Center for Anthropogenic Infections, Department of Water and Hygiene, Währinger Straße 25a, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Universität Innsbruck, Research Department for Limnology, Mondseestrasse 9, 5310 Mondsee, Austria and Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck.
| | - Stefanie Dobrovolny
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Food Safety, Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Spargelfeldstraße 191, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Kreuml
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Hydroanalytics, Wieningerstraße 8, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene - Center for Anthropogenic Infections, Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Währinger Straße 25a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Indra
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Währinger Straße 25a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Kurmayer
- Universität Innsbruck, Research Department for Limnology, Mondseestrasse 9, 5310 Mondsee, Austria and Universität Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck
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Zhang C, McIntosh KD, Sienkiewicz N, Stelzer EA, Graham JL, Lu J. Using cyanobacteria and other phytoplankton to assess trophic conditions: A qPCR-based, multi-year study in twelve large rivers across the United States. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 235:119679. [PMID: 37011576 PMCID: PMC10123349 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton is the essential primary producer in fresh surface water ecosystems. However, excessive phytoplankton growth due to eutrophication significantly threatens ecologic, economic, and public health. Therefore, phytoplankton identification and quantification are essential to understanding the productivity and health of freshwater ecosystems as well as the impacts of phytoplankton overgrowth (such as Cyanobacterial blooms) on public health. Microscopy is the gold standard for phytoplankton assessment but is time-consuming, has low throughput, and requires rich experience in phytoplankton morphology. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is accurate and straightforward with high throughput. In addition, qPCR does not require expertise in phytoplankton morphology. Therefore, qPCR can be a useful alternative for molecular identification and enumeration of phytoplankton. Nonetheless, a comprehensive study is missing which evaluates and compares the feasibility of using qPCR and microscopy to assess phytoplankton in fresh water. This study 1) compared the performance of qPCR and microscopy in identifying and quantifying phytoplankton and 2) evaluated qPCR as a molecular tool to assess phytoplankton and indicate eutrophication. We assessed phytoplankton using both qPCR and microscopy in twelve large freshwater rivers across the United States from early summer to late fall in 2017, 2018, and 2019. qPCR- and microscope-based phytoplankton abundance had a significant positive linear correlation (adjusted R2 = 0.836, p-value < 0.001). Phytoplankton abundance had limited temporal variation within each sampling season and over the three years studied. The sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers had higher phytoplankton abundance than those in the eastern and western rivers. For instance, the concentration (geometric mean) of Bacillariophyta, Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, and Dinoflagellates at the sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers was approximately three times that at the sampling sites in the western rivers and approximately 18 times that at the sampling sites in the eastern rivers. Welch's analysis of variance indicates that phytoplankton abundance at the sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers was significantly higher than that at the sampling sites in the eastern rivers (p-value = 0.013) but was comparable to that at the sampling sites in the western rivers (p-value = 0.095). The higher phytoplankton abundance at the sampling sites in the midcontinent rivers was presumably because these rivers were more eutrophic. Indeed, low phytoplankton abundance occurred in oligotrophic or low trophic sites, whereas eutrophic sites had greater phytoplankton abundance. This study demonstrates that qPCR-based phytoplankton abundance can be a useful numerical indicator of the trophic conditions and water quality in freshwater rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiqian Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Sciences and Engineering, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA 70813, United States
| | - Kyle D McIntosh
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education at the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, United States
| | - Nathan Sienkiewicz
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
| | - Erin A Stelzer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbus, OH 43229, United States
| | | | - Jingrang Lu
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States.
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Saleem F, Jiang JL, Atrache R, Paschos A, Edge TA, Schellhorn HE. Cyanobacterial Algal Bloom Monitoring: Molecular Methods and Technologies for Freshwater Ecosystems. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11040851. [PMID: 37110273 PMCID: PMC10144707 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11040851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) can accumulate to form harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the surface of freshwater ecosystems under eutrophic conditions. Extensive HAB events can threaten local wildlife, public health, and the utilization of recreational waters. For the detection/quantification of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, both the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Health Canada increasingly indicate that molecular methods can be useful. However, each molecular detection method has specific advantages and limitations for monitoring HABs in recreational water ecosystems. Rapidly developing modern technologies, including satellite imaging, biosensors, and machine learning/artificial intelligence, can be integrated with standard/conventional methods to overcome the limitations associated with traditional cyanobacterial detection methodology. We examine advances in cyanobacterial cell lysis methodology and conventional/modern molecular detection methods, including imaging techniques, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/DNA sequencing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), mass spectrometry, remote sensing, and machine learning/AI-based prediction models. This review focuses specifically on methodologies likely to be employed for recreational water ecosystems, especially in the Great Lakes region of North America.
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Veerabadhran M, Manivel N, Sarvalingam B, Seenivasan B, Srinivasan H, Davoodbasha M, Yang F. State-of-the-art review on the ecotoxicology, health hazards, and economic loss of the impact of microcystins and their ultrastructural cellular changes. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 256:106417. [PMID: 36805195 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are ubiquitously globally present in both freshwater and marine environments. Ample reports have been documented by researchers worldwide for pros and cons of cyanobacterial toxins. The implications of cyanobacterial toxin on health have received much attention in recent decades. Microcystins (MCs) represent the unique class of toxic metabolites produced by cyanobacteria. Although the beneficial aspects of cyanobacterial are numerous, the deleterious effect of MCs overlooked. Several studies on MCs evidently reported that MCs exhibit a plethora of harmful effect on animals, plants, and cell lines. Accordingly, numerous histopathological studies have also found that MCs cause detrimental effects to cells by damaging cellular organelles, including nuclear envelope, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, plastids, flagellum, pilus membrane structures and integrity, vesicle structures, and autolysosomes and autophagosomes. Such ultrastructural cellular damages holistically influence the morphological, biochemical, physiological, and genetic status of the host. Indeed, MCs have also been found to cause the deleterious effect to different animals and plants. Such deleterious effects of MCs have greater impact on agriculture, public health which in turn influences ecotoxicology and economic consequences. The impairments correspond to oxidative stress, organ failure, carcinogenesis, aquaculture loss, with an emphasis for blooms and respective bioaccumulation prospects. The preservation of mortality among life forms is addressed in a critical cellular perspective for multitude benefits. The comprehensive cellular assessment could provide opportunity to develop strategy for therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maruthanayagam Veerabadhran
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, School of Public Health, University of South China, Hengyang, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Nagarajan Manivel
- ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Chennai 600 0028, India
| | - Barathkumar Sarvalingam
- National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Ministry of Earth Science, NIOT Campus, Chennai 600100, India
| | - Boopathi Seenivasan
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Hemalatha Srinivasan
- School of Life Sciences, B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600 0048, India
| | - MubarakAli Davoodbasha
- School of Life Sciences, B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600 0048, India.
| | - Fei Yang
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, School of Public Health, University of South China, Hengyang, China.
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Cyanotoxins in Bloom: Ever-Increasing Occurrence and Global Distribution of Freshwater Cyanotoxins from Planktic and Benthic Cyanobacteria. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14040264. [PMID: 35448873 PMCID: PMC9029585 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14040264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxic cyanobacteria in freshwater bodies constitute a major threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems [...]
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Influence of Environmental Factors on Occurrence of Cyanobacteria and Abundance of Saxitoxin-Producing Cyanobacteria in a Subtropical Drinking Water Reservoir in Brazil. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13121716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Blooms of cyanobacteria are frequent in Brazilian water reservoirs used for drinking water. The warning for the presence of potential toxin-producing cyanobacteria is typically based on time-consuming microscopy, rather than specific molecular detection of toxic genes in cyanobacteria. In this study, we developed a quantitative PCR assay for the detection of cyanobacteria producing the neurotoxin saxitoxin (STX). The assay targets the sxtA gene in the sxt gene cluster. Potential and dominant STX-producers in the Itupararanga reservoir were the genera Raphidiopsis, Aphanizomenon and Geitlerinema. Numbers of the sxtA gene varied from 6.76 × 103 to 7.33 × 105 cells mL−1 and correlated positively with SXT concentrations in the water. Concentrations of STX and the sxtA gene also correlated positively with TN:TP ratio and pH, but correlated negatively with inorganic nutrients and turbidity, confirming that regulation of the SXT production was impacted by environmental variables. In contrast, the occurrence of another cyanotoxin, microcystin, did not correlate with any environmental variables. The developed qPCR assay was found to be a rapid and robust approach for the specific quantification of potential STX-producing cyanobacteria and should be considered in future investigations on toxic cyanobacteria to provide an early warning of potential toxin episodes.
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