title: Trophic transfer of microcystins through the lake pelagic food web: evidence for the role of zooplankton as a vector in fish contamination.
abstract: An in situ study was performed to investigate the role of zooplankton as a vector of microcystins (MCs) from Planktothrix rubescens filaments to fish during a metalimnic bloom of P. rubescens in Lake Hallwil (Switzerland). The concentrations of MCs in P. rubescens and various zooplanktonic taxa (filter-feeders and predators) were assessed in different water strata (epi-, meta- and hypolimnion) using replicated sampling over a 24-hour survey. The presence of P. rubescens in the gut content of various zooplanktonic taxa (Daphnia, Bosmina and Chaoborus) was verified by targeting the cyanobacterial nucleic acids (DNA). These results highlighted that cyanobacterial cells constitute a part of food resource for herbivorous zooplanktonic taxa during metalimnic bloom periods. Furthermore, presence of MCs in Chaoborus larvae highlighted the trophic transfer of MCs between herbivorous zooplankton and their invertebrate predators. Our results suggest that zooplanktonic herbivores by diel vertical migration (DVM) act as vectors of MCs by encapsulating grazed cyanobacteria. As a consequence, they largely contribute to the contamination of zooplanktonic predators, and in fine of zooplanktivorous whitefish. Indeed, we estimated the relative contribution of three preys of the whitefish (i.e. Daphnia, Bosmina and Chaoborus) to diet contamination. We showed that Chaoborus and Daphnia were the highest contributor as MC vectors in the whitefish diet (74.6 and 20.5% of MC-LR equivalent concentrations, respectively). The transfer of MCs across the different trophic compartments follows complex trophic pathways involving various trophic levels whose relative importance in fish contamination might vary at daily and seasonal scale.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR CARRTEL, 75 av. de Corzent, F-74203 Thonon Les Bains, France. Electronic address: bsotton@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sotton
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guillard
authors.forename: Orlane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Anneville
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maréchal
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Savichtcheva
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Domaizon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology; D052998:Microcystins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012487:Salmonidae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D013557:Switzerland; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D052998:Microcystins; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Cyanobacteria; Cyanotoxins; Diet; Peri-alpine lakes; Planktothrix rubescens; Whitefish