title: Identification and enumeration of Microcystis using a sandwich hybridization assay.
abstract: Based on sequence analyses of phycocyanin intergenic spacers (PC-IGS) from Microcystis, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, and Planktothrix (Oscillatoria) strains, a genus-specific probe pair TF/TR was designed, and a sandwich hybridization assay was established to quantitatively detect Microcystis. Through BLAST and cyanobacterial culture tests, TF/TR was demonstrated to be specific for Microcystis. A calibration curve for the sandwich hybridization assay was established, and the lowest detected concentration was 100 cell/ml. Laboratory and field samples were analyzed with both sandwich hybridization assay and microscopy. The biotic and abiotic components of the samples were of little disturbance to the sandwich hybridization assay. The results showed no distinct difference between the two methods. In this study, a sandwich hybridization assay was established to detect Microcystis, providing an alternative to traditional microscopic, morphology-based methods.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China. jpzhuhust@163.com
authors.forename: Jing Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D046931:Microcystis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D015341:Nucleic Acid Probes / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015341:Nucleic Acid Probes