The application of sxtA and ribosomal-based qPCR assays for early detection of PSP-associated bloom

The recent dinoflagellate blooms of species of the former Alexandrium tamarense species complex on the east-coast of Australia have resulted in significant financial loss to the shellfish industry and public health threats.... [ view full abstract ]

The recent dinoflagellate blooms of species of the former Alexandrium tamarense species complex on the east-coast of Australia have resulted in significant financial loss to the shellfish industry and public health threats. The requirement for an early detection system to mitigate the impact of this increasingly unpredictable and severe threat is evident. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction assays based on the toxin gene, sxtA, and ribosomal large subunit have enabled the detection and characterisation of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning–associated species from the water column in low concentrations. In this study, the specificity and sensitivity of these assays have been tested and compared. The use of these assays as an early warning tool and to characterise the Alexandrium species present in the shellfish farming areas along the east coast of Tasmania will also be demonstrated.