Saxitoxin-Producing cyanobacteria in Lake Baikal

• Published in: Contemporary problems of ecology Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 186 - 192
• Main Authors: Belykh, O. I., Gladkikh, A. S., Sorokovikova, E. G., Tikhonova, I. V., Potapov, S. A., Butina, T. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-03-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anabaena; Aquatic ecology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Coastal zone; Coastal zone management; Cyanobacteria; Ecology; Lakes; Life Sciences; Littoral zone; Neurotoxicity; Plankton; Species diversity; Russia, Siberia, Baykal L; pyrosequencing; Lake Baikal; A-gene; saxitoxin; cyanobacteria; ELISA
• ISSN: 1995-4255; 1995-4263
• DOI: 10.1134/S199542551502002X

Cyanobacteria containing neurotoxic saxitoxin synthesis genes were found in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal near the village of Turka for the first time. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequences of saxitoxin synthesis genes belong to the genus
Anabaena
Bory. Saxitoxin concentration in the water according to ELISA was 1.93 ± 0.64 mg/L. The genetic and taxonomic composition of the bacterial community of the central part of Lake Baikal was characterized using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. It was established that the phylum Cyanobacteria dominated in the composition of summer bacterioplankton in both littoral and pelagic zones of the lake, but higher species diversity was found in the plankton of littoral zone.