Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA) for monitoring of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in water samples

Abstract

Cyanobacterial blooms have become an increasing worldwide problem in aquatic habitats. Certain species of cyanobacteria produce toxins of several types that threaten the health of animals and humans and may affect tourism and recreation activities. Therefore, early identification and prediction of such toxic blooms are essential for proper management of the aquatic environment. Here we report on the development and application of a molecular diagnostic tool for rapid identification of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Toxic cyanobacteria species, Aphanizomenon ovalisporum and two Microcystis strains, were isolated from Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee, Israel), and a large DNA fragment of the rDNA gene was cloned and sequenced for these species. Restriction enzymes were selected according to the sequences to yield species-specific fragment patterns. A set of primers was designed to amplify the 16S-ITS1-23S region, which was then digested by the selected restriction enzymes to yield known fragment patterns. Th...