Molecular Probes to Evaluate the Synthesis and Production Potential of an Odorous Compound (2-methylisoborneol) in Cyanobacteria

Keonhee Kim, Youngdae Yoon, Hyukjin Cho and Soon-Jin Hwang
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Keonhee Kim: Human and Eco-Care Center, Department of Environmental Health Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Youngdae Yoon: Human and Eco-Care Center, Department of Environmental Health Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Hyukjin Cho: Hangang River Regional Division, Department of Water Resources Management, K-Water, Gwacheon 13841, Korea
Soon-Jin Hwang: Human and Eco-Care Center, Department of Environmental Health Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: The volatile metabolite, 2-Methylisoborneol (2-MIB) produced by cyanobacterial species, causes odor and taste problems in freshwater systems. However, simple identification of cyanobacteria that produce such off-flavors may be insufficient to establish the causal agent of off-flavor-related problems as the production-related genes are often strain-specific. Here, we designed a set of primers for detecting and quantifying 2-MIB-synthesizing cyanobacteria based on mibC gene sequences (encoding 2-MIB synthesis-catalyzing monoterpene cyclase) from various Oscillatoriales and Synechococcales cyanobacterial strains deposited in GenBank. Cyanobacterial cells and environmental DNA and RNA were collected from both the water column and sediment of a eutrophic stream (the Gong-ji Stream, Chuncheon, South Korea), which has a high 2-MIB concentration. Primer sets mibC196 and mibC300 showed universality to mibC in the Synechococcales and Oscillatoriales strains; the mibC132 primer showed high specificity for Pseudanabaena and Planktothricoides mibC . Our mibC primers showed excellent amplification efficiency (100–102%) and high correlation among related variables (2-MIB concentration with water RNA r = 689, p < 0.01; sediment DNA r = 0.794, p < 0.01; and water DNA r = 0.644, p < 0.05; cyanobacteria cell density with water RNA and DNA r = 0.995, p < 0.01). These primers offer an efficient tool for identifying cyanobacterial strains possessing mibC genes (and thus 2-MIB-producing potential) and for evaluating mibC gene expression as an early warning of massive cyanobacterial occurrence.

Keywords: 2-Methylisoborneol (2-MIB); cyanobacteria; molecular probes; mibC; real-time PCR (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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