ISSN:
1573-5176
Keywords:
dinoflagellate
;
diarrheic shellfish poisoning
;
okadaic acid
;
Dinophysis
;
Phalacroma
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Okadaic acid, one of the principal toxin components implicated in cases of diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP), was identified for the first time in natural phytoplankton assemblages from North American waters. During periods in late summer when significant quantities of okadaic acid were detected in net haul samples in the lower estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence in eastern Canada, the phytoplankton community consistently contained species of the dinoflagellate genusDinophysis Ehrenberg. The presence of okadaic acid was detected by screening dinoflagellate extracts with an enzyme-linked immunological assay (ELISA); positive results were confirmed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation, followed by fluorescence detection. Okadaic acid was only found in phytoplankton samples in which the photosynthetic dinophysoid speciesD. norvegica andD. acuminata were prominent; blooms of the related heterotrophic speciesD. rotundata exhibited no trace of okadaic acid, nor other suspected DSP components.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00003466
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