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Use of a rapid bioluminescence assay for detecting cyanobacterial microcystin toxicity
Author(s) -
Lawton L. A.,
Campbell D. L.,
Beattie K. A.,
Codd G. A.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.1990.tb00161.x
Subject(s) - microcystin , bioassay , cyanobacteria , toxicity , bioluminescence , biology , microcystin lr , ec50 , acute toxicity , hepatotoxin , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , environmental chemistry , chemistry , biochemistry , ecology , in vitro , genetics , organic chemistry
The recent rise in the awareness of the occurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic environments, with associated human health problems and animal deaths, has increased the need for rapid, reliable and sensitive methods of determining cyanobacterial toxicity. A luminescent bacterial toxicity test was assessed as a complement to the established mouse bioassay. Seventeen samples including pure cyanobacterial microcystin‐LR hepatotoxin, laboratory isolates and natural blooms of cyanobacteria were tested and toxicity data compared with mouse LD 50 , values. Microcystin‐LR and all five microcystin‐containing cyanobacterial samples, hepatotoxic by mouse test gave EC 50 values of < 0.46 mg/ml in bioluminescence‐based Microtox assays. Of 11 samples non‐toxic by mouse bioassay, only two gave an EC 50 of <0.98 mg/ml by bioluminescence assay. It is suggested that the Microtox bioluminescence assay may prove useful in the preliminary screening of cyanobacterial blooms for microcystin‐based toxicity.