Species‐specific PCR assays for Gambierdiscus excentricus and Gambierdiscus silvae (Gonyaulacales, Dinophyceae)

The two most toxic Gambierdiscus species identified from the Caribbean are G. excentricus and G. silvae. These species are the primary causes of ciguatera fish poisoning and likely contribute disproportionately to the toxicity of marine food webs. While Gambierdiscus species are difficult to disting...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of phycology 2019-06, Vol.55 (3), p.730-732
Main Authors: Litaker, R. Wayne, Tester, Patricia A., Vandersea, Mark W., Lin, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Assaying
Caribbean
Caribbean Region
Ciguatera
Ciguatera Poisoning
ciguatoxin
Ciguatoxins
dinoflagellate
Dinoflagellida
DNA
Ecological monitoring
Ecological studies
Electron microscopy
Fish
Fish poisoning
Food chains
Food webs
Gambierdiscus
harmful algae
Identification
Identification methods
Nucleotide sequence
PCR
Phylogeny
Polymerase Chain Reaction
ribosomal
Scanning electron microscopy
Species
Species identification
species‐specific molecular assay
Toxicity
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Summary:The two most toxic Gambierdiscus species identified from the Caribbean are G. excentricus and G. silvae. These species are the primary causes of ciguatera fish poisoning and likely contribute disproportionately to the toxicity of marine food webs. While Gambierdiscus species are difficult to distinguish using light or scanning electron microscopy, reliable species‐specific molecular identification methods have been developed and used successfully to identify a number of other Gambierdiscus species. Corresponding species‐specific assays are not yet available for G. excentricus and G. silvae, which imposes limitations on species identification and related ecological studies. The following note describes species‐specific polymerase chain reaction assays for G. excentricus and G. silvae that can be used for these purposes.
ISSN:0022-3646
1529-8817
DOI:10.1111/jpy.12852