IDENTIFICATION AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF TOXIGENIC CYANOBACTERIA BY MULTIPLEX RANDOMLY AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA PCR

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA PCR was used to generate unique and identifying DNA profiles for members of the cyanobacterial genera Ana baena and Microcystis, which are responsible for much of the productio n of nuisance blooms in various freshwater systems, including recreati onal and drinking water supplies. A method based on the combination of two 10-mer oligonucleotides in a single PCR was developed to provide specific and repeatable DNA fingerprints for cyanobacterial isolates, The strain-specific randomly amplified polymorphic DNA profiles made i t possible to discriminate among all toxigenic cyanobacteria studied t o the three taxonomic levels of genus, species, and strain, Analysis o f DNA typing results obtained by the described method clearly distingu ishes between the genera Anabaena and Microcystis. The markers produce d for each strain were also applied to a phylogenetic analysis to infe r genetic relatedness in this group of prokaryotes.