TY - JOUR
T1 - The presence of the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin in black band disease of corals
AU - Richardson, Laurie L.
AU - Sekar, Raju
AU - Myers, Jamie L.
AU - Gantar, Miroslav
AU - Voss, Joshua D.
AU - Kaczmarsky, Longin
AU - Remily, Elizabeth R.
AU - Boyer, Gregory L.
AU - Zimba, Paul V.
PY - 2007/7
Y1 - 2007/7
N2 - Black band disease (BBD) is a migrating, cyanobacterial dominated, sulfide-rich microbial mat that moves across coral colonies lysing coral tissue. While it is known that BBD sulfate-reducing bacteria contribute to BBD pathogenicity by production of sulfide, additional mechanisms of toxicity may be involved. Using HPLC/MS, the cyanotoxin microcystin was detected in 22 field samples of BBD collected from five coral species on nine reefs of the wider Caribbean (Florida Keys and Bahamas). Two cyanobacterial cultures isolated from BBD, Geitlerinema and Leptolyngbya sp. contained microcystin based on HPLC/MS, with toxic activity confirmed using the protein phosphatase inhibition assay. The gene mcyA from the microcystin synthesis complex was detected in two field samples and from both BBD cyanobacterial cultures. Microcystin was not detected in six BBD samples from a different area of the Caribbean (St Croix, USVI) and the Philippines, suggesting regional specificity for BBD microcystin. This is the first report of the presence of microcystin in a coral disease.
AB - Black band disease (BBD) is a migrating, cyanobacterial dominated, sulfide-rich microbial mat that moves across coral colonies lysing coral tissue. While it is known that BBD sulfate-reducing bacteria contribute to BBD pathogenicity by production of sulfide, additional mechanisms of toxicity may be involved. Using HPLC/MS, the cyanotoxin microcystin was detected in 22 field samples of BBD collected from five coral species on nine reefs of the wider Caribbean (Florida Keys and Bahamas). Two cyanobacterial cultures isolated from BBD, Geitlerinema and Leptolyngbya sp. contained microcystin based on HPLC/MS, with toxic activity confirmed using the protein phosphatase inhibition assay. The gene mcyA from the microcystin synthesis complex was detected in two field samples and from both BBD cyanobacterial cultures. Microcystin was not detected in six BBD samples from a different area of the Caribbean (St Croix, USVI) and the Philippines, suggesting regional specificity for BBD microcystin. This is the first report of the presence of microcystin in a coral disease.
KW - Black band disease
KW - Coral disease
KW - Cyanobacteria
KW - Cyanotoxin
KW - Microcystin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34447520455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.00751.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.00751.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17506829
AN - SCOPUS:34447520455
SN - 0378-1097
VL - 272
SP - 182
EP - 187
JO - FEMS Microbiology Letters
JF - FEMS Microbiology Letters
IS - 2
ER -