Simple and rapid detection of the toxic marine dinoflagellates Alexandrium tamarense and A. catenella with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using rRNA-targeted probes

Abstract

Oliigonudeotide probes targeting 28 S ribosomal RNA for the toxic marine dinofagellates Alexandrium tamarense (Lebor) Balech and A. catenella (Whedon and Kofoid) Taylor were designed for simple and rapid identification of these species. With fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using these probes, each species could be detected and there were none non-specific stained cells. The efficiency of detectable cells remained constant through exponential and stationary phase, and more than 80% cells of both species could always be identified. Targeted cells in a field sample could be detected and discriminated within 1 hour by the labeling the two different probes with FITC and Rhodamine, respectively.