Abstract—
A multiprimer PCR-based technique for the joint molecular detection of microcystin-producing planktonic cyanobacteria of the genera Microcystis, Planktothrix and Dolichospermum was developed. To amplify the mcy genes of microcystin biosynthesis, three pairs of genus-specific primers were selected, while the fourth pair was used to amplify the inter-gene spacer (IGS) cpcBA acting as an inner positive control for the presence of cyanobacterial DNA in the analyzed samples. Four PCR products of predicted size were successfully amplified using a mixture of DNA templates isolated from microсystin-producing strains of M. aeruginosa, Planktothrix agardhii, and field colonies of Dolichospermum lemmermannii retrieved from the environment, as well as the environmental DNA template from lake plankton. The proposed multiprimer PCR-based approach may be used to design convenient test systems for monitoring aquatic ecosystems to prevent and/or assess the risk of accumulation of harmful cyanobacterial toxins.
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Funding
The work was funded by YSU Programme (no. P2-GL3-2022, R&D (Research work) “Molecular Genetic Research, Assessment of the Physiological and Biochemical Status and Biotechnological Potential of Living Systems”).
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Translated by P. Sigalevich
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Sidelev, S.I. Detection of Microcystin-Producing Cyanobacteria Microcystis, Planktothrix, and Dolichospermum Using Multiprimer Amplification of the mcy Genes. Microbiology 91, 792–795 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261722800256
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261722800256