Development of a Quantitative PCR Assay for the Detection and Enumeration of a Potentially Ciguatoxin-producing Dinoflagellate, Gambierdiscus Lapillus (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae)

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2019 Nov 16

PMID 31730656

Citations 6

Authors

Anna Liza Kretzschmar

Arjun Verma

Gurjeet Kohli

Shauna Murray

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is an illness contracted through the ingestion of seafood containing ciguatoxins. It is prevalent in tropical regions worldwide, including in Australia. Ciguatoxins are produced by some species of Gambierdiscus. Therefore, screening of Gambierdiscus species identification through quantitative PCR (qPCR), along with the determination of species toxicity, can be useful in monitoring potential ciguatera risk in these regions. In Australia, CFP is prevalent in tropical Queensland and increasingly in sub-tropical regions of Australia, but has a report rate of approximately 10%. Yet the identity, distribution and abundance of ciguatoxin producing Gambierdiscus spp. is largely unknown. In this study, we developed a rapid qPCR assay to quantify the presence and abundance of Gambierdiscus lapillus, a likely ciguatoxic species first described from Australia. We assessed the specificity and efficiency of the qPCR assay. The assay was tested on 25 environmental samples from the Heron Island reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef, a ciguatera endemic region, to determine the presence and patchiness of this species across samples from Chnoospora sp., Padina sp. and Sargassum sp. macroalgal hosts.

Citing Articles

Gambierdiscus species diversity and community structure in St. Thomas, USVI and the Florida Keys, USA.

Richlen M, Horn K, Uva V, Fachon E, Heidmann S, Smith T Harmful Algae. 2024; 131:102562.

PMID: 38212087 PMC: 11137678. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102562.

Genomic copy number variability at the genus, species and population levels impacts in situ ecological analyses of dinoflagellates and harmful algal blooms.

Ruvindy R, Barua A, Bolch C, Sarowar C, Savela H, Murray S ISME Commun. 2023; 3(1):70.

PMID: 37422553 PMC: 10329664. DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00274-0.

Ciguatera Mini Review: 21st Century Environmental Challenges and the Interdisciplinary Research Efforts Rising to Meet Them.

Loeffler C, Tartaglione L, Friedemann M, Spielmeyer A, Kappenstein O, Bodi D Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(6).

PMID: 33804281 PMC: 7999458. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18063027.

Further advance of Species in the Canary Islands, with the First Report of .

Tudo A, Gaiani G, Varela M, Tsumuraya T, Andree K, Fernandez-Tejedor M Toxins (Basel). 2020; 12(11).

PMID: 33142836 PMC: 7693352. DOI: 10.3390/toxins12110692.

Toxicity Characterisation of Species from the Canary Islands.

Rossignoli A, Tudo A, Bravo I, Diaz P, Diogene J, Riobo P Toxins (Basel). 2020; 12(2).

PMID: 32098095 PMC: 7076799. DOI: 10.3390/toxins12020134.

References

Holmes M, Lewis R, Poli M, Gillespie N . Strain dependent production of ciguatoxin precursors (gambiertoxins) by Gambierdiscus toxicus (Dinophyceae) in culture. Toxicon. 1991; 29(6):761-75. DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(91)90068-3. View

Lewis R, Holmes M . Origin and transfer of toxins involved in ciguatera. Comp Biochem Physiol C Comp Pharmacol Toxicol. 1993; 106(3):615-28. DOI: 10.1016/0742-8413(93)90217-9. View

Chinain M, Darius H, Ung A, Cruchet P, Wang Z, Ponton D . Growth and toxin production in the ciguatera-causing dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus polynesiensis (Dinophyceae) in culture. Toxicon. 2009; 56(5):739-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.06.013. View

Holmes M, Lewis R . Purification and characterisation of large and small maitotoxins from cultured Gambierdiscus toxicus. Nat Toxins. 1994; 2(2):64-72. DOI: 10.1002/nt.2620020204. View

Brosnahan M, Kulis D, Solow A, Erdner D, Percy L, Lewis J . Outbreeding lethality between toxic Group I and nontoxic Group III spp. isolates: Predominance of heterotypic encystment and implications for mating interactions and biogeography. Deep Sea Res 2 Top Stud Oceanogr. 2014; 57(3-4):175-189. PMC: 4038962. DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.005. View

Farrell H, Zammit A, Manning J, Shadbolt C, Szabo L, Harwood D . Clinical diagnosis and chemical confirmation of ciguatera fish poisoning in New South Wales, Australia. Commun Dis Intell Q Rep. 2016; 40(1):E1-6. View

Nishimura T, Hariganeya N, Tawong W, Sakanari H, Yamaguchi H, Adachi M . Quantitative PCR assay for detection and enumeration of ciguatera-causing dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus spp. (Gonyaulacales) in coastal areas of Japan. Harmful Algae. 2017; 52:11-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2015.11.018. View

Baumann F, Bourrat M, Pauillac S . Prevalence, symptoms and chronicity of ciguatera in New Caledonia: results from an adult population survey conducted in Noumea during 2005. Toxicon. 2009; 56(5):662-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.10.015. View

Hariganeya N, Tanimoto Y, Yamaguchi H, Nishimura T, Tawong W, Sakanari H . Quantitative PCR method for enumeration of cells of cryptic species of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Ostreopsis spp. in coastal waters of Japan. PLoS One. 2013; 8(3):e57627. PMC: 3596365. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057627. View

10.

Edgar R . MUSCLE: multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput. Nucleic Acids Res. 2004; 32(5):1792-7. PMC: 390337. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkh340. View

11.

Darius H, Roue M, Sibat M, Viallon J, Gatti C, Vandersea M . Tectus niloticus (Tegulidae, Gastropod) as a Novel Vector of Ciguatera Poisoning: Detection of Pacific Ciguatoxins in Toxic Samples from Nuku Hiva Island (French Polynesia). Toxins (Basel). 2017; 10(1). PMC: 5793089. DOI: 10.3390/toxins10010002. View

12.

Nishimura T, Sato S, Tawong W, Sakanari H, Yamaguchi H, Adachi M . Morphology of Gambierdiscus scabrosus sp. nov. (Gonyaulacales): a new epiphytic toxic dinoflagellate from coastal areas of Japan. J Phycol. 2016; 50(3):506-14. DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12175. View

13.

Rhodes L, Smith K, Verma A, Curley B, Harwood D, Murray S . A new species of Gambierdiscus (Dinophyceae) from the south-west Pacific: Gambierdiscus honu sp. nov. Harmful Algae. 2017; 65:61-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2017.04.010. View

14.

Kretzschmar A, Larsson M, Hoppenrath M, Doblin M, Murray S . Characterisation of Two Toxic Gambierdiscus spp. (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae) from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia): G. lewisii sp. nov. and G. holmesii sp. nov. Protist. 2019; 170(6):125699. DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2019.125699. View

15.

Smith K, Rhodes L, Verma A, Curley B, Harwood D, Kohli G . A new Gambierdiscus species (Dinophyceae) from Rarotonga, Cook Islands: Gambierdiscus cheloniae sp. nov. Harmful Algae. 2017; 60:45-56. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2016.10.006. View

16.

Chinain M, Darius H, Ung A, Fouc M, Revel T, Cruchet P . Ciguatera risk management in French Polynesia: the case study of Raivavae Island (Australes Archipelago). Toxicon. 2009; 56(5):674-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.05.032. View

17.

Fraga S, Rodriguez F, Riobo P, Bravo I . Gambierdiscus balechii sp. nov (Dinophyceae), a new benthic toxic dinoflagellate from the Celebes Sea (SW Pacific Ocean). Harmful Algae. 2017; 58:93-105. DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2016.06.004. View

18.

Sims J . A theoretical discourse on the pharmacology of toxic marine ingestions. Ann Emerg Med. 1987; 16(9):1006-15. DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(87)80750-3. View

19.

Kretzschmar A, Verma A, Harwood T, Hoppenrath M, Murray S . Characterization of Gambierdiscus lapillus sp. nov. (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae): a new toxic dinoflagellate from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). J Phycol. 2016; 53(2):283-297. DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12496. View

20.

Larsson M, Laczka O, Harwood D, Lewis R, Himaya S, Murray S . Toxicology of Gambierdiscus spp. (Dinophyceae) from Tropical and Temperate Australian Waters. Mar Drugs. 2018; 16(1). PMC: 5793055. DOI: 10.3390/md16010007. View