Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Toxicological Studies on Microcystis

  • Chapter
The Water Environment

Part of the book series: Environmental Science Research ((EDPC))

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to determine whether varying toxicity of natural blooms of Microcystis is due to: a) Microcystis-bacteria interactions b) an environmental effect c) the presence of more than one strain or species of Microcystis. Partial characterization of bacteria associated with unialgal cultures, and natural blooms indicated that no relationship exists between Microcystis and the occurrence of one or more types of bacteria. Examination of different axenic toxic cultures proved that toxicity resided in Microcystis only. To examine possibilities b and c, toxin extraction and mouse assay were examined and standardized. Environmental parameters had an influence on toxicity of toxic isolates, but even the highest possible dose of a non-toxic isolate injected (800 mg/kg) was innocuous whereas 20 mg/kg from a toxic isolate generally killed mice. Both toxic and non-toxic isolates lost colony habit soon, but only non-toxic isolates lost the ability to form gas vacuoles. Gas vacuole-less mutants of toxic Microcystis isolates were however, still toxic. A preliminary comparison of toxins extracted from several toxic isolates indicated that similar toxins were present. Many observations and experimental results supported the conclusion that toxic and non-toxic isolates of Microcystis belong to different taxons.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Amann, M. J., and J. N. Eloff. 1980. A preliminary study on the toxins of different Microcystis strains. S. Afr. J. Sci. (In press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Berti, T., and L. Cima. 1955. Einfluss der temperatur auf die pharmakologische Wirkung des chlorpromazins. Arzneimittel- Forsch. 5: 73.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bliss, C. I. 1935. The calculation of the dosage-mortality curve. Ann. Appl. Biol. 22: 134–167.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, E. M., and M. M. Shanas. 1963. The acute oral toxicity of sodium chloride. Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. Ther. 144: 86.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chance, M. R. A. 1946. Aggregation as a factor influencing the toxicity of sympathomimetic amines in mice. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 87: 214.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deem, A. W., and F. Thorpe. 1939. Toxic algae in Colorado. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 95: 542–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deichmann, W. B., and J. J. Leblanc. 1943. Determination of the approximate lethal dose with about six animals. J. Ind. Hyg. Toxicol. 25: 415–417.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dieke, S. H., and C. P. Richter. 1945. Acute toxicity of thiourea to rats in relation to age, diet, strain and species vari¬ation. J. Pharmac. Exp. Ther. 83: 195.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, W. J., and A. M. Mood. 1948. A method for obtaining and analyzing sensitivity data. J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 43: 109–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elleman, T. C., I. R. Falconer, A. R. B. Jackson, and M. T. Runnegar. 1978. Isolation, characterization, and pathology of the toxin from a Microcystis aeruginosa (= Anaoystis cyanea) bloom. Aust. J. Biol. Sci. 31: 209–218.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eloff, J. N., and D. N. Sadie. 1979. Unpublished results.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golubic, S. 1979. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) under the bacteriological code? An ecological objection. Taxon 28 (4): 387–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorham, P. R. 1960. Toxic waterblooms of blue-green algae. Can. Vet. J. 1: 235–245.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gorham, P. R. 1964. Toxic algae. Pages 307–336 in D. F. Jackson, ed., Algae and Man. Plenum Press, New York. 434 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorham, P. R., and W. W. Carmichael. 1979. Phycotoxins from blue- green algae. Pure Appl. Chem. 52 (1): 165–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, G. A., and E. O. Hughes. 1953. Development of toxicity in blue-green algae. Can. J. Public Health 44: 334–339.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, R. E., and P. R. Gorham. 1956. (Unpublished) Cited in P. R. Gorham, 1964. Toxic algae. Pages 307–336 in D. F. Jackson, ed.. Algae and Man. Plenum Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hortobágyi, T. 1943. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der im Boglarer Seston, Psammon und Lasion lebenden algen des Balaton-Sees. Arb. Ung. Biol. Forschungsinstitut 15: 75–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hortobágyi, T. 1947. New observations on some algae from Lake Balaton. Bot. Közlemenyek 44: 39–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber-Pestalozzi, G. 1929. Algologische mitteilungen. VI. Algen aus dem Lago di Muzzano. Arch. Hydrob. 20: 413–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, E. O., Gorham, P. R., and A. Zehnder. 1958. Toxicity of a unialgal culture of Microcystis aeruginosa. Can. J. Microbiol. 4: 225–236.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ingram, W. M., and G. W. Prescott. 1954. Toxic fresh-water algae. Am. Mid. Nat. 52: 75–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kessel, M., and J. N. Eloff. 1975. The ultrastructure and development of the colonial sheath of Microcystis marginata. Arch. Microbiol, 106: 209–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komárek, J. 1958. Die taxonomische revision der planktischen blaualgen der Tschechoslowakei. In J. Komárek and M. Ettl, eds., Algologische Studien. Tschechoslowakische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Prague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krüger, G. H. J., and J. N. Eloff. 1978. Mass culture of Microcystis under sterile conditions. J. Limnol. Soc. S. Afr. 4 (2): 119–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krüger, G. H. J., J. N. Eloff, and J. A. Pretorius. 1980. Morphological changes in toxic and non-toxic Microcystis isolates at different irradiance levels. (In press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, R. H., and W. F. Doolittle. 1979. Covalently closed circular DNAs in closely related unicellular Cyanobacteria. J. Bacteriol. 137: 648–652.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Louw, P. G. J. 1950. The active constituent of the poisonous algae. Microcystis toxica Stephens. S. Afr. Ind. Chemist 4: 62–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, T. A. 1951. Toxic plankton. Pages 86–95 in Proceedings of Inservice Training Course in Water Works Problems, February 15–16. University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paget, G. E., ed. 1970. Methods in Toxicology. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. 390 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pretorius, J. A. 1977. Groei van Microcystis aeruginosa op Agarmedium. M.Sc. Thesis. University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinton, R. M., and H. Reinert. 1968. Cited in J. K. Morrison, R. M. Quinton, and H. Reinert, 1968. The purpose and value of LD50 determinations. Pages 1–17 in E. Boyland and R. Goulding, eds.. Modern Trends in Toxicology, Vol. 1. Butter-worths, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rippka, R., J. Deruelles, J. B. Waterbury, M. Herdman, and R. Y. Stanier. 1979. Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of Cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111: 1–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. D. 1978. Halobacterium strain 5 contains a plasmid which is correlated with the presence of gas vacuoles. Nature (Lond.) 273: 314–317.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, F. A., W. L. Downs, H. C. Hodge, and E. A. Maynard. 1960. Screening of fluorine-containing compounds for acute toxicity. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 2: 54–58.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stanier, R. Y., R. Kunisawa, M. Mandel, and G. Cohen-Bazire. 1971. Purification and properties of unicellular blue-green algae (order Chroococcales). Bacteriol. Rev. 35: 171–205.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, E. L. 1949. Microcystis toxica sp. nov.: a poisonous alga from the Transvaal and Orange Free State. Trans. R. Soc. S. Afr. 32(1):105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steyn, D. G. 1945. Poisoning of animals by algae (scum and water- bloom) in dams and pans. Union of South Africa, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Government Printer, Pretoria. 9 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, W. R. 1947. Use of moving averages and interpolation to estimate median-effective dose. I. Fundamental formulas, estimation of error, and relation to other methods. Bacteriol. Rev. 11: 115–145.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, W. K., A. C. Laing, and G. A, Grant. 1957. Toxic algae. IV. Isolation of toxic bacterial contaminants. Can. Defence Research Board, Defence Research Kingston Laboratory. Report No. 51, Project No. D52–20–20–18. Ottawa. 9 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toerien, D. F., W. E. Scott, and M. J. Pitout. 1976. Microcystis toxins: isolation, identification, implications. Water S. A. (Pretoria) 2: 160–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsby, A. E. 1977. Absence of gas vesicle protein in a mutant of Anabaena flos-aquae. Arch. Microbiol. 114: 167–170.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weil, C. S. 1952. Tables for convenient calculation of median effective dose (LD50 or ED50) and instructions in their use. Biometrics 8: 249–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, R. E., J. B. Lackey, and S. A. Schott. 1942. Contribution on the toxicity of algae. Public Health Rep. 57: 1695–1701.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa

    J. N. Eloff & A. J. Van Der Westhuizen

Authors
  1. J. N. Eloff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. J. Van Der Westhuizen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA

    Wayne W. Carmichael

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1981 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Eloff, J.N., Van Der Westhuizen, A.J. (1981). Toxicological Studies on Microcystis . In: Carmichael, W.W. (eds) The Water Environment. Environmental Science Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3267-1_25

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3267-1_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3269-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3267-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation