Youchul Jeon, Ian Struewing, Kyle McIntosh, Marcie Tidd, Laura Webb, Hodon Ryu, Heath Mash, Jingrang Lu
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs) are of growing global concern due to their production of toxic compounds, which threaten ecosystems and human health. Saxitoxins (STXs), commonly known as paralytic shellfish poison, are a neurotoxic alkaloid produced by some cyanobacteria. Although many field studies indicate a widespread distribution of STX, it is understudied relative to other cyanotoxins such as microcystins (MCs). In this study, we assessed eleven U.S. urban lakes using qPCR, gene-targeting sequencing, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to understand the spatio-temporal variations in cyanobacteria and their potential role in STX production. During the blooms, qPCR analysis confirmed the presence of the STX-encoding gene at all lakes. In particular, the abundance of the gene had a strong positive correlation with STX concentrations in Big 11 Lake in Kansas City, which was also the site with the highest quantified STX concentration. Sequencing analysis revealed that potential STX producers, such as , , and were present. Further analysis targeting amplicons of the gene identified that and/or are the primary STX producer, showing a significant correlation with gene abundances and STX concentrations. In addition, was associated with environmental factors, such as conductivity, sulfate, and orthophosphate, whereas was correlated with temperature and pH. Overall, the results herein enhance our understanding of the STX-producing cyanobacteria and aid in developing strategies to control HCBs.
