title: Detection of microcystin-producing  Microcystis  in Guanqiao Lake using a sandwich hybridization assay.
abstract: Based on sequence analyses of the mcyJ gene from  Microcystis  strains, a probe pair TJF and TJR was designed and a sandwich hybridization assay (SHA) was established to quantitatively detect microcystin-producing Microcystis. Through BLAST and cyanobacterial culture tests, TJF and TJR were demonstrated to be specific for microcystin-producing Microcystis. A calibration curve for the SHA was established, and the lowest detected concentration was 100 cells·mL(-1). Laboratory cultures and field samples from Guanqiao Lake were analyzed with both the SHA and microscopy. The cell number of microcystin-producing Microcystis and that of total Microcystis were compared. The biotic and abiotic components of the samples were of little disturbance to the SHA. In this study, a SHA was established to detect Microcystis, providing an alternative to PCR-ELISA and real-time PCR technology.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D052998:Microcystins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D046931:Microcystis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D052998:Microcystins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C078588:microcystin