Combining Imaging Flow Cytometry and Molecular Biological Methods to Reveal Presence of Potentially Toxic Algae at the Ural River in Kazakhstan
Mirasbekov Y. Abdimanova A. Sarkytbayev K. Samarkhanov K. Abilkas A. Potashnikova D. Arbuz G. Issayev Z. Vorobjev I.A. Malashenkov D.V. Barteneva N.S.
21 July 2021Frontiers Media S.A.
Frontiers in Marine Science
2021#8
Algal blooms occur in freshwater bodies throughout the world, often leading to fish kills. Cases of these kills along the Ural River were reported in 2018–2019, involving significant amount of sturgeon in fish farming areas. In this study, the analysis of algal samples from the delta of the Ural River up to 100 km inland was carried out from August to December 2019 using imaging flow cytometry (IFC), molecular biological, and microscopic techniques. We identified the filamentous cyanobacteria Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi, Dolichospermum cf. flos-aquae, Dolichospermum cf. macrosporum, Pseudanabaena limnetica, and Planktothrix spp. as the dominant potentially toxic phytoplankton species, and we also found minor quantities of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. For the first time, molecular phylogenetic investigations of field clones of cyanobacteria from Ural River were carried out to establish the taxa of the dominant species and to identify the presence of genes encoding toxins. The complementary analysis with nanopore-based next-generation sequencing overlapped with the results of IFC and was instrumental in revealing minor cyanobacteria taxa. Real-time PCR analysis and sequencing indicated the presence of Microcystis and ADA-clade spp. as well as genes associated with the production of microcystin (mcyE) and the algal neurotoxin saxitoxin (sxtA) originating from cyanobacteria. These findings suggest that toxin-producing cyanobacteria could become a threat in the Ural River near Atyrau, which can significantly affect aquaculture in the region. © Copyright
cyanobacteria , Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii , imaging flow cytometry , MinION , next-generation sequencing , real-time PCR , satellite data analysis , toxic algae
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Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Laboratory of Biophotonics and Imaging, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
Core Facilities, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of General Ecology and Hydrobiology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
The Environmental Research and Efficiency Cluster (EREC), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of Biology
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography
Laboratory of Biophotonics and Imaging
Department of Cell Biology and Histology
Core Facilities
Department of General Ecology and Hydrobiology
The Environmental Research and Efficiency Cluster (EREC)
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