A qPCR-Based Tool to Diagnose the Presence of Harmful Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water Sources

Yi-Ting Chiu, Yi-Hsuan Chen, Ting-Shaun Wang, Hung-Kai Yen and Tsair-Fuh Lin
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Yi-Ting Chiu: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Yi-Hsuan Chen: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Ting-Shaun Wang: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Hung-Kai Yen: Department of Biological Science and Technology, Meiho University, Pingtung 91202, Taiwan
Tsair-Fuh Lin: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: Harmful cyanobacteria have been an important concern for drinking water quality for quite some time, as they may produce cyanotoxins and odorants. Microcystis and Cylindrospermopsis are two common harmful cyanobacterial genera detected in freshwater lakes and reservoirs, with microcystins (MCs) and cylindrospermopsin (CYN) as their important metabolites, respectively. In this study, two sets of duplex qPCR systems were developed, one for quantifying potentially-toxigenic Microcystis and Microcystis , and the other one for cylindrospermopsin-producing cyanobacteria and Cylindrospermopsis . The duplex qPCR systems were developed and validated in the laboratory by using 338 samples collected from 29 reservoirs in Taiwan and her offshore islands. Results show that cell numbers of Microcystis and Cylindorspermopsis enumerated with microscopy, and MCs and CYN concentrations measured with the enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay method, correlated well with their corresponding gene copies determined with the qPCR systems (range of coefficients of determination R 2 = 0.392?0.740). The developed qPCR approach may serve as a useful tool for the water industry to diagnose the presence of harmful cyanobacteria and the potential presence of cyanotoxins in source waters.

Keywords: cyanobacteria; Microcystis; microcystins; Cylindrospermopsis; cylindrospermopsin; duplex qPCR (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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