2010 年 27 巻 1 号 p. 35-39
The golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei is an invasive freshwater bivalve species. Recently, gregarious settlement of these mussels in the dam and aqueducts of hydroelectric power stations in Japan has been the cause of various problems. We developed a molecular based method for the quantitative detection of larvae of L. fortunei using real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). Designed primers were able to specifically detect larvae of L. fortunei in freshwater planktonic samples. Real-time PCR was performed using fluorescent dye (SYBR® Green) detection. Threshold cycles correlated well with the number of larvae in logarithmic values, and the R-square value of the standard curve was 0.99. This molecular based method can be utilized not only for the identification of L. fortunei in a particular habitat, but also for the quantification of larvae of this species in natural environments.
