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INTRA‐CELLULAR AND EXTRA‐CELLULAR TOXINS IN THE RED TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE, GYMNODINIUM BREVE
Author(s) -
Blum P. C.,
Henry M. S.,
Pierce R. H.,
Payne S. R.,
Lyons J.I.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1046/j.1529-8817.1999.00001-19.x
Subject(s) - dinoflagellate , biology , red tide , lysis , toxin , algal bloom , enumeration , marine toxin , microbiology and biotechnology , algae , chromatography , fish kill , water column , ciguatera , elution , botany , fish <actinopterygii> , phytoplankton , ecology , fishery , biochemistry , chemistry , mathematics , combinatorics , nutrient
The marine dinoflagellate, Gymnodinium breve (Davis), produces several neurotoxins that cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (nsp), massive fish kills and respiratory irritation in marine mammals and humans. The common method for discerning toxic levels of G. breve for public health advisories is enumeration of live cells in a given water mass. In this study, laboratory cultures, as well as natural blooms, were added to a stirred ultra‐filtration cell concentrator to separate viable cells containing intra‐cell toxins from ambient water containing extra‐cell toxins. Methods were validated using various mixtures of lysed and whole G. breve laboratory culture. Extractions and recovery of brevetoxins were done using a C‐18 bonded‐phase glass fiber extraction disc eluted with methanol. Total PbTx toxin concentrations were quantified by HPLC/UV using a C‐18 column and an 85:15 methanol:water (1 ml min −1 ) isocratic elution at 215 nm. This method of separation and extraction was subsequently applied to water samples collected during natural blooms along two different areas of the Florida Gulf coast. The results indicated that early stages of G. breve blooms contained primarily intra‐cell toxins with extra‐cell toxins increasing as the bloom progressed, even though very few viable G. breve cells were present. This suggests that enumeration of cells alone may be insufficient and additional toxin quantitation is necessary.