荧光原位杂交技术和流式细胞仪用于环境样品中产毒及非产毒微囊藻的定量监测

全球范围内,高频次、大范围暴发的蓝藻水华对淡水水体环境造成严重影响.微囊藻因其在生长特别是衰亡过程中向水体释放微囊藻毒素而威胁人类健康.因此,分析其产毒株及非产毒株在环境样品中的组成,建立产毒蓝藻的预报及评价体系显得极为重要.本文采用荧光原位杂交技术结合流式细胞技术实现对环境样品中产毒藻株的鉴别与定量.针对目标基因mcyA设计的、以地高辛标记的双链DNA探针可有效应用于产毒微囊藻FACHB905和PCC7806的鉴别.分别对来自滇池、太湖和关桥的11个样品进行分析显示,该方法与传统的形态学鉴定及PCR方法有较好的匹配.荧光原位杂交技术与流式细胞相结合可有效鉴别产毒与非产毒微囊藻,尤其可以对野外样品中产毒与非产毒藻株进行简便、可视化地鉴别,从而达到对产毒微囊藻水华早期预警的目的.     

广东省水库微囊藻的产毒特征和ITS序列的遗传多样性分析

为了解广东省水库微囊藻的产毒特征和ITS 序列的遗传多样性,从广东省供水水库中分离得到28 株微囊藻(Microcystisspp.),对它们的产毒特征和15 株微囊藻的ITS 序列进行了分析.高效液相色谱(HPLC)和微囊藻毒素合成酶基因mcyE 的检测结果表明,广东省水库中的微囊藻以产毒藻株占优势,微囊藻毒素的主要类型为MC-RR.广东省15 株藻株的ITS 序列相似性大于93.2%,在用相邻法(NJ)构建的系统树上,不同形态的种和不同地理区域的藻株没有区分开,产毒和非产毒藻株没有形成独立分支.这说明微囊藻ITS 序列的遗传多样性较低,ITS 序列和mcyE 存在没有相关性,表型不能够反映藻株的进化关系.因此,有必要将藻类传统分类方法与分子方法结合起来对蓝藻进行重新分类.     

蓝藻毒素的类型及其产毒基因

水体富营养化及蓝藻水华的频繁发生,严重破坏水域生态系统,有毒水华蓝藻产生的藻毒素,污染水体且危害水生动物和人类健康。本文综述了水华蓝藻的次级代谢产物藻毒素及藻毒素合成基因的国内外研究进展,介绍了蓝藻毒素的类型、不同毒素毒性机理、产毒基因以及利用产毒基因进行产毒蓝藻的分子生物学检测等,并对研究中存在的问题和未来的研究方向进行了展望,目的是为建立有毒水华蓝藻的预警机制、科学评价产毒蓝藻及其藻毒素的生态、环境危害及生态环境治理提供理论和技术支撑。     

木贼镰孢基因功能注释及比较基因组学分析

为挖掘木贼镰孢(Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc.)的产毒基因及明确其进化关系,通过BLAST软件与GO、KEGG、COG、E职NOG、CAZy等14个数据库结合的方法对其全基因组进行功能注释并挖掘产毒基因,进行系统进化分析及运用色谱技术研究产毒基因的分泌规律;以麦根腐平脐蠕孢、燕麦镰孢、尖...     

利用PCR方法研究广州市景观湖产毒微囊藻的季节分布特点

为研究景观水体中产毒微囊藻的季节性分布特点,利用针对蓝藻和微囊藻的16srDNA、微囊藻毒素合成酶 mcyB 基因的部分核苷酸序列设计和筛选的特异性引物,对广州市内8个景观湖108份水样进行了冬季、夏季和秋季的二重及套式PCR的检测。结果显示,在冬季能被检测出的产毒微囊藻的阳性水样为42份,夏季为102份,而秋季为100份;阳性率分别为38.9%、94.4%、92.5%,产毒微囊藻在夏季和秋季阳性率高。结果表明在冬季、夏季和秋季均有产毒微囊藻分布;夏、秋季是广州市景观水体微囊藻污染的高峰季节,值得引起水文部门足够的重视。     

应用薄层层析技术快速检出杂色曲霉素产毒菌株

直接硅胶板薄层层析快速检出杂色曲霉素产毒菌株,简化了培养,萃取纯化等繁琐步骤,大大缩短样品检测所需时间,做到快速灵敏,检验时取生长待测菌株的琼脂块,直接以硅胶薄层析展开浸出溶液,显色后产毒株色谱带中毒素斑点清晰易辨,所用试剂,设备简单,费用低廉,容易掌握,尤其适用于大量菌株的分离筛选,应用此方法,检测了２２２个真菌菌株的产毒能力。     

梅毒检测技术研究进展

悔毒是由悔毒螺旋体引起的一种性传播疾病,传染性很强,目前已成为世界性的公共安全问题。、早发现早诊断对于悔毒的治疗极为重要．．梅毒的诊断主要依靠实验室检测。我们从病原体、抗体、基因等3个方面对近几年悔毒检测技术和方法进行了综述,论述了其基本原理、研究进展及各自的优缺点。     

不同胁迫条件下产志贺毒素大肠杆菌生长及产毒能力异质性分析

【目的】本文旨在探究产志贺毒素大肠杆菌(Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, STEC)在不同胁迫条件下的生长情况以及产毒状况的变化,为STEC菌株在胁迫压力下应激机制研究提供基础数据参考。【方法】选取3株STEC菌株分别在不同pH值、不同盐浓度、不同温度下进行适应性传代培养,使用一级生长模型Gompertz模型分析其在胁迫环境下的生长异质性;通过Vero细胞毒性实验分析胁迫条件下菌株的产毒状况。【结果】除了pH 5.0条件下的ST462菌株,在pH5.0和9.0、较高盐浓度1.5%NaCl和2.5%NaCl以及低温10℃胁迫条件下STEC菌株都表现出最大比生长速率(μmax)降低、迟缓期(λ)延长,差异显著(P<0.01);不同胁迫条件下提取的STEC菌株毒素侵染细胞后测得的细胞存活率均低于对照最适条件,而pH 5.0条件下相反。【结论】STEC菌株在碱性、较高浓度盐以及低温环境胁迫压力下响应应激机制,生长虽受到抑制,但其所产毒素对Vero细胞造成的损伤加重,毒性增强。本研究通过胁迫环境下生长和产毒状况的异质性分析,将有助于全面了解ST...     

产肠毒素大肠杆菌快速检测方法的建立和评价

目的利用环介导等温扩增(LAMP)技术,建立产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC)的快速、便捷、敏感、特异的检测方法,并对该方法的特异性和敏感性进行评价,为实验动物检测和细菌性腹泻的诊断提供技术支持。方法根据GenBank公布的产肠毒素大肠杆菌的LT毒素基因序列(S60731.1)设计外引物和内引物进行LAMP扩增,对LAMP特异性和敏感性与PCR方法做比较。结果建立的LAMP方法检测最低浓度为100 pg/μL,灵敏度是PCR的10倍以上并具有较高的特异性,利用该方法对27份猴腹泻样品进行LAMP和PCR方法检测,发现PCR检出率为33.3%,LAMP(60 min内)结果与PCR相同,而LAMP(90 min内)检出率为92.6%,约是PCR检出率的3倍。结论建立了一种用于检测肠毒性大肠杆菌(ETEC)的LAMP检测方法,该方法特异性强,灵敏度高,方便快捷,适合于ETEC临床快速检测。     

赤链蛇毒器的发现及离体毒腺的产毒量

本文通过对安徽黄山产赤链蛇毒器的解剖,描述了其毒器的形态、大小和着生位置,并测定了离体毒腺的产毒量。     

The molecular genetics of cyanobacterial toxicity as a basis for monitoring water quality and public health risk

Toxic cyanobacteria pose a significant hazard to human health and the environment. The recent characterisation of cyanotoxin synthetase gene clusters has resulted in an explosion of molecular detection methods for these organisms and their toxins. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests targeting cyanotoxin biosynthesis genes provide a rapid and sensitive means for detecting potentially toxic populations of cyanobacteria in water supplies. The adaptation of these simple PCR tests into quantitative methods has additionally enabled the monitoring of dynamic bloom populations and the identification of particularly problematic species. More recently, DNA microarray technology has been applied to cyanobacterial diagnostics offering a high-throughput option for detecting and differentiating toxic genotypes in complex samples. Together, these molecular methods are proving increasingly important for monitoring water quality.     

Detection and identification of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in Polish water bodies

The main goal of this study was to determine the distribution of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in 39 selected Polish water bodies. From the water bodies with blooms and also from those in which blooms were not visible 87 samples were investigated. For the first time samples from ponds localized in villages with high agricultural activities were included. Lakes for which microcystin concentrations had been determined before were included as a reference for the research. The detection of cyanobacteria was conducted by microscopic observation as well as by PCR amplification of the rpoC1 gene fragment. Cyanobacteria were present in 75 out of 87 samples. The presence of potentially toxic cyanobacteria was detected by amplification of the mcyB and mcyE genes, which are involved in the biosynthesis of microcystins. Both genes were detected in 7 out of 9 blooms investigated. In the case of samples collected from water bodies in which blooms were not observed, the mcyB and mcyE genes were detected in 20 out of 36. In order to identify the cyanobacteria occurring in selected reservoirs, 16S plus ITS clone libraries were constructed. The method allowed distinguishing 18 different genotypes. After sequence analysis, cyanobacteria belonging to genera Microcystis, Planktothrix, Anabaena, Pseudanabaena, Synechocystis, Synechococcus and Woronichinia were identified. Results confirmed the usefulness of the rpoC1 and mcy genes for monitoring water bodies and detection of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Application of molecular markers allowed detecting potentially toxic cyanobacteria before the bloom was visible. This is the first comprehensive study concerning cyanobacteria present in different types of Polish water bodies performed using molecular markers.     

Estimating toxic cyanobacteria in a Brazilian reservoir by quantitative real-time PCR, based on the microcystin synthetase D gene

The production of microcystin toxins by cyanobacteria is an intrapopulation feature and the toxic and nontoxic genotypes can be separated only through molecular analyses targeting the mcy markers. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a procedure that has been established, not only to detect but to specifically quantify these genotypes. In the present work, primers were designed for the mcyD region to estimate the number of cyanobacteria that are potential microcystin producers. Laboratory tests to verify the efficiency and the specificity of the primers were performed. The methodology was first established for single strain cultures and thereafter was applied in environmental water samples, from a reservoir located in the Brazilian savannah (“cerrado”). The results were very satisfactory, demonstrating the high efficiency and the specificity of the primers used, and their ability to detect different cyanobacteria genera. Of particular interest were the results showing a high proportion of toxic strains (as high as 100 %) in the environmental samples, as previously reported in another tropical system. Furthermore, the occurrence of a smaller fraction of toxic strains at high cyanobacteria densities, and of more toxic populations when fewer cyanobacteria were present, deserves further investigation. Although records of cyanobacteria blooms are very common in the tropics and suggest an increasing incidence of toxic populations, the present research is one of the few applying qPCR in a tropical environment. The results obtained here, by a technique that allows a more precise quantification and in situ follow-up of changes in toxicity, will make possible new observations of seasonal and spatial dynamics in these environments.     

Molecular (PCR-DGGE) versus morphological approach: analysis of taxonomic composition of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in freshwater lakes

Background

The microscopic Utermöhl method is commonly used for the recognition of the presence and taxonomic composition of potentially toxic cyanobacteria and is especially useful for monitoring reservoirs used as drinking water, recreation and fishery resources. However, this method is time-consuming and does not allow potentially toxic and nontoxic cyanobacterial strains to be distinguished. We have developed a method based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the marker gene ITS and the mcy-gene cluster, and DNA sequencing. We have attempted to calibrate the DGGE-method with a microscopic procedure, using water samples taken in 2011 from four lakes of the Great Mazurian Lakes system.

Results

Results showed that the classic microscopic method was much more precise and allowed the classification of the majority of cyanobacterial taxa to the species or genus. Using the molecular approach, most of the sequences could only be assigned to a genus or family. The results of DGGE and microscopic analyses overlapped in the detection of the filamentous cyanobacteria. For coccoid cyanobacteria, we only found two taxa using the molecular method, which represented 17% of the total taxa identified using microscopic observations. The DGGE method allowed the identification of two genera of cyanobacteria (Planktothrix and Microcystis) in the studied samples, which have the potential ability to produce toxins from the microcystins group.

Conclusions

The results confirmed that the molecular approach is useful for the rapid detection and taxonomic distinction of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in lake-water samples, also in very diverse cyanobacterial communities. Such rapid detection is unattainable by other methods. However, with still limited nucleotide sequences deposited in the public databases, this method is currently not sufficient to evaluate the entire taxonomic composition of cyanobacteria in lakes.     

Molecular detection of potentially toxic cyanobacteria and their associated bacteria in lake water column and sediment

We investigated the molecular diversity of cyanobacteria and bacteria during a water bloom in a lake with a long history of toxic cyanobacterial blooms (Lake Kastoria, Greece). We also tested the hypothesis whether bloom-forming cyanobacteria are preserved in the lake’s sediment 2 years after the bloom. The dominant cyanobacteria during the bloom included the potentially toxin-producing Microcystis aeruginosa and several other Chroococcales forms closely related to the genus Microcystis. This suggests that the use of cyanobacterial-specific primers seems to be very informative in describing the cyanobacteria during the water blooms. The bacterial community showed high diversity, consisting mostly of singleton and doubleton phylotypes. The majority of the phylotypes were typical lake bacteria including some potential pathogens and toxin metabolising bacteria, suggesting that the dominant toxic cyanobacteria did not have any significant effect on the bacterial community structure. In the sediment, 2 years after the water bloom, no bloom-forming cyanobacteria were retrieved, suggesting that they cannot be preserved in the sediment. Similar to the water column, sediment bacterial diversity was also high, consisting mostly of yet-uncultured bacteria that are related to environments where organic matter degradation takes place.     

Cyanobacterial bioactive molecules--an overview of their toxic properties

Allelopathic interactions involving cyanobacteria are being increasingly explored for the pharmaceutical and environmental significance of the bioactive molecules. Among the toxic compounds produced by cyanobacteria, the biosynthetic pathways, regulatory mechanisms, and genes involved are well understood, in relation to biotoxins, whereas the cytotoxins are less investigated. A range of laboratory methods have been developed to detect and identify biotoxins in water as well as the causal organisms; these methods vary greatly in their degree of sophistication and the information they provide. Direct molecular probes are also available to detect and (or) differentiate toxic and nontoxic species from environmental samples. This review collates the information available on the diverse types of toxic bioactive molecules produced by cyanobacteria and provides pointers for effective exploitation of these biologically and industrially significant prokaryotes.     

Development and application of a multiplex qPCR technique to detect multiple microcystin-producing cyanobacterial genera in a Canadian freshwater lake

The emergence and persistence of complex blooms comprising multiple toxigenic cyanobacteria genera pose significant challenges for water quality management worldwide. The co-occurrence of morphologically indistinguishable toxic and non-toxic strains makes monitoring and control of these noxious organisms particularly challenging. Conventional monitoring approaches are not only incapable of discriminating toxic from non-toxic strains but also have proven to be less sensitive and specific. In this study, a multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) approach was developed and tested for its sensitivity and specificity at detecting, differentiating and estimating potentially toxic Anabaena, Microcystis and Planktothrix genotype compositions in environmental samples. The oligonucleotide primers and probes utilized were designed to target portions of the microcystin synthetase (mcy) E gene that encode synthesis of the unique 3-amino-9-methoxy-2,6,8-trimethyl-10-phenyldeca-4,6-dienoic acid (ADDA) moiety of microcystins in the three target genera. Laboratory evaluation showed the developed assay to be highly sensitive and specific at detecting and quantifying targeted genera. Indeed, the assay standards for the Anabaena, Microcystis and Planktothrix reactions attained efficiencies above 90 %, with coefficients of determination consistently above 0.99. Analysis of water samples from Missisquoi Bay, Quebec, Canada, resulted in successful detection and quantification of target toxigenic cyanobacteria even when cell numbers were below the detection limit for the conventional microscopy methods. Furthermore, toxigenic Microcystis spp. were found to be the main putative microcystin-producing cyanobacteria in the study lake. The qPCR technique developed in this study therefore offers simultaneous detection, differentiation and quantification of multiple toxigenic cyanobacteria that otherwise cannot be accomplished by current monitoring approaches.     

Application of molecular genetic and microbiological techniques in ecology and biotechnology of cyanobacteria

The review discusses the advances and problems in biotechnology and ecology of cyanobacteria and considers the possibilities of molecular genetic and microbiological techniques in this field. Due to the ease of cultivation, high growth rate, availability of synchronous cultures, and existence of numerous molecular genetic and microbiological techniques for various cyanobacterial strains, cyanobacteria—prokaryotic organisms that are ancient relatives of the chloroplasts—are model organisms in the studies of photosynthesis, dinitrogen fixation, cell division, hydrogen production, and in a number of other areas of basic and applied science. These techniques make possible deeper understanding of the role of cyanobacteria in various ecosystems and utilization of their potential in numerous applied projects, including production of molecular hydrogen, phycobiliproteins, and cyanophycin; formation of nanoparticles; removal of heavy metals from the environment; substrate biodegradation; manufacture of products for medicine and food industry; and solution of the problem of cyanobacterial toxins in freshwater and marine environments.     

Methods to detect cyanobacteria and their toxins in the environment

Cyanobacteria blooms are since early times a cause for environmental concern because of their negative impact through the release of odors, water discoloration, and more dangerously through the release of toxic compounds (i.e. the cyanotoxins) that can affect both human and animal welfare. Surveillance of the aquatic ecosystems is therefore obligatory, and methods to achieve such require a prompt answer not only regarding the species that are producing the blooms but also the cyanotoxins that are being produced and/or released. Moreover, besides this well-known source of possible intoxication, it has been demonstrated the existence of several other potential routes of exposure, either for humans or other biota such as through food additives and in terrestrial environments (in plants, lichens, biological soil crusts) and the recognition of their harmful impact on less studied ecosystems (e.g. coral reefs). Nowadays, the most frequent approaches to detect toxic cyanobacteria and/or their toxins are the chemical-, biochemical-, and molecular-based methods. Above their particular characteristics and possible applications, they all bring to the environmental monitoring several aspects that are needed to be discussed and scrutinized. The end outcome of this review will be to provide newer insights and recommendations regarding the methods needed to apply in an environmental risk assessment program. Therefore, a current state of the knowledge concerning the three methodological approaches will be presented, while highlighting positive and negative aspects of each of those methods within the purpose of monitoring or studying cyanobacteria and their toxins in the environment.     

Emergence of toxic cyanobacterial species in the Ganga River,India, due to excessive nutrient loading

Despite of several efforts by the Government of India, pollution in National River Ganga is rising. The aim of the present study is to investigate the pollution in Ganga River in relation to appearance of toxic cyanobacterial strains. Jajmau area of Kanpur city is the industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh and is the main source of adding unwanted discharge into Ganga River. Water samples were randomly collected from the most polluted stretch of Ganga River (Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India). Samples were also collected from other major water of Uttar Pradesh to compare their water chemistry with Ganga River. Physico-chemical parameters of water bodies were estimated periodically for three years 2013–2015. Pearson product-mean correlation showed strong correlation between water parameters of sampling sites. Regression analysis showed seasonal variation in water parameters of Ganga River. Cyanobacteria prevalence in Ganga River was highest in May while lowest in August month. Fourteen cultivable cyanobacteria were isolated from Ganga River. Two new isolates, Oscillatoria sp. RBD01 and Leptolyngbya sp. RBD05 were found to be toxic and showed the presence of algal toxin (microcystin). Phylogenetic relatedness of toxic cyanobacterial isolates with their close homologues was established using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Microcystin content in water samples (extracellular release) and in cyanobacterial isolates (intracellular content) was estimated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Ganga River was found to be positive for microcystin with concentration ≥2 ppb which is above the permissible limit of WHO. Toxic cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. RBD01 and Leptolyngbya sp. RBD05 showed the presence of 23 and 17 ppb of microcystin in cells. Growth of the toxic cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. RBD01 showed very strong correlation with phosphate (0.834) and nitrate (0.761) content of water. Toxic Oscillatoria sp. RBD01 growing in moderate combination of nitrate (16x) and phosphate (4x) showed optimum growth and protein content. Periodic assessment of water quality and monitoring of toxic cyanobacteria would be helpful in identification and regulation of toxins which are responsible for destroying its sanctity and making it unsafe for human consumption.