CONFIRMATION OF ANATOXIN-A(S), IN THE CYANOBACTERIUM ANABAENA-LEMMERMANNII, AS THE CAUSE OF BIRD KILLS IN DANISH LAKES

Cyanobacterial blooms were implicated in bird kills at lakes in Denmar k in July 1993 and June-July 1994. These blooms were dominated by Anab aena lemmermannii and were shown to contain a neurotoxin with antichol inesterase activity. In this study, the toxin was isolated by mouse le thality guided column chromatographies from the field sample collected at Lake Knud so in 1993. Various spectroscopic data indicated that th e toxin was anatoxin-a(s), an irreversible anticholinesterase, first r eported in Anabaena flos-aquae. Chemical detection of the same toxin i n cultured A. lemmermannii also confirmed this species as the cause of the deaths of the wild birds. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.