| Title | Quantification of Toxigenic Microcystis spp. in Freshwaters by Quantitative Real-time PCR Based on the Microcystin Synthetase A Gene |
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| Author | Kyoung-Hee Oh1, Dong-Hwan Jeong2, and Young-Cheol Cho1* |
| Address | 1Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Republic of Korea, 2National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 404-708, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 51(1),18-24, 2013, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-013-2354-z |
| Key Words | toxic Microcystis, microcystins, quantitative realtime PCR, microcystin synthetase gene |
| Abstract | A method to estimate the abundance of toxigenic Microcystis in environmental samples by using quantitative real-time PCR was developed and optimized. The basis of this method is the amplification of a highly conserved region of the mcyA gene within the microcystin synthetase gene cluster. Using this method, the average copy number of mcyA gene per cell in toxigenic Microcystis strains was estimated. The molecular markers and method developed in this study can be used to monitor toxigenic strains of Microcystis in Korean freshwaters, in which harmful cyanobacterial blooms are routinely found. |