This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
Andreas Ballot
Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 08 August 2021 in Limnologica
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Inlay Lake is the second largest natural lake in Myanmar. Located in Shan State, in the eastern part of the country, it is a known biodiversity hotspot. The lake is negatively affected by an increasing local human population and rapid growth in both agriculture and tourism. In recent decades, several studies have listed faunistic and floristic groups in Inlay Lake, but there is still a general lack of knowledge about the aquatic macrophyte and phytoplankton community composition and abundance, and their interactions. To fill this knowledge gap, field surveys of biological and physical and chemical parameters were carried out in the period 2014–2017. They show that Inlay Lake is a shallow, clear water and calcareous lake, with nutrient concentrations indicating mesotrophic-eutrophic conditions. However, close to the shore, nutrient concentrations are generally higher, reflecting pollution from inflowing rivers, shoreline villages and floating gardens. Both the richness and abundance of aquatic macrophytes in Inlay Lake were high, with several species forming extensive stands in most of the lake over the whole survey period. Total phytoplankton and cyanobacterial biomass were low, but cyanobacteria included toxin-producing strains of Microcystis, suggesting that cyanobacterial and total phytoplankton biomass need to be kept low to avoid potentially harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Submerged macrophyte abundance and phytoplankton biomass were inversely correlated in the heavily vegetated northern lake area. Our survey suggests a great importance of the submerged macrophytes to the general water quality and the clear water state in Inlay Lake. Maintaining high macrophyte abundances should therefore be a goal in management strategies, both for Inlay Lake and other lakes in Myanmar. It is highly desirable to include macrophytes and phytoplankton in the lake monitoring in Myanmar.

ACS Style

Thida Swe; Paola Lombardo; Andreas Ballot; Jan-Erik Thrane; James Sample; Tor Erik Eriksen; Marit Mjelde. The importance of aquatic macrophytes in a eutrophic tropical shallow lake. Limnologica 2021, 90, 125910 .

AMA Style

Thida Swe, Paola Lombardo, Andreas Ballot, Jan-Erik Thrane, James Sample, Tor Erik Eriksen, Marit Mjelde. The importance of aquatic macrophytes in a eutrophic tropical shallow lake. Limnologica. 2021; 90 ():125910.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thida Swe; Paola Lombardo; Andreas Ballot; Jan-Erik Thrane; James Sample; Tor Erik Eriksen; Marit Mjelde. 2021. "The importance of aquatic macrophytes in a eutrophic tropical shallow lake." Limnologica 90, no. : 125910.

Journal article
Published: 12 July 2021 in Limnologica
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Yezin Dam is a man-made reservoir located close to Yezin village in Myanmar. Its water is used for irrigation, domestic purposes and as drinking water for many urban communities in the watershed area. In recent years, increased pollution due to the concurrent development around the dam has led to water quality deterioration. No detailed study on the distribution of cyanobacteria and toxin production has been conducted so far. In order to provide insight into the extent of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the dam, water samples were collected once in January 2014 for the isolation of cyanobacterial strains and eight times between March 2017 and June 2018 for the investigation of physical, chemical and biological parameters. A total of 99 phytoplankton taxa belonging to 50 genera were recorded from Yezin Dam. Microscopic examination showed that a Dolichospermum sp. was the dominant cyanobacterium followed by small numbers of Microcystis, and Raphidiopsis raciborskii in all samples throughout the sampling period. 15 isolated cyanobacterial strains were classified morphologically and phylogenetically as Dolichospermum smithii, R. raciborskii and Microcystis and tested for microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsins (CYNs), saxitoxins (STXs) and anatoxins (ATXs) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The toxin analysis of all isolated Dolichospermum strains by ELISA and LC–MS did not indicate the presence of ATXs, STXs, CYNs nor MCs. Four of the five isolated Raphidiopsis strains produced CYN and deoxyCYN. One of the isolated Microcystis strains (AB2017/08) from Yezin Dam produced 22 MC congeners. Concentrations of 0.12 μg L−1 CYNs and 0.34 μg L−1 MCs were also found in an environmental sample from Yezin Dam by ELISA. The potential therefore exists for the use of untreated water from Yezin Dam to cause harmful effects on humans, domestic and wild animals.

ACS Style

Thida Swe; Christopher O. Miles; Leonardo Cerasino; Marit Mjelde; Synne Kleiven; Andreas Ballot. Microcystis, Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Dolichospermum smithii, toxin producing and non-toxigenic cyanobacteria in Yezin Dam, Myanmar. Limnologica 2021, 90, 125901 .

AMA Style

Thida Swe, Christopher O. Miles, Leonardo Cerasino, Marit Mjelde, Synne Kleiven, Andreas Ballot. Microcystis, Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Dolichospermum smithii, toxin producing and non-toxigenic cyanobacteria in Yezin Dam, Myanmar. Limnologica. 2021; 90 ():125901.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thida Swe; Christopher O. Miles; Leonardo Cerasino; Marit Mjelde; Synne Kleiven; Andreas Ballot. 2021. "Microcystis, Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Dolichospermum smithii, toxin producing and non-toxigenic cyanobacteria in Yezin Dam, Myanmar." Limnologica 90, no. : 125901.

Research article
Published: 21 November 2020 in Botany Letters
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Information on the distribution and species composition of charophytes in Myanmar is scarce. Only a few studies on charophytes in ponds were conducted in Myanmar at the end of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century and lake habitats were not included in these studies. To increase the knowledge, we investigated Chara spp. from seven Myanmar lakes and reservoirs. In a polyphasic approach using morphological traits and DNA barcoding the specimens found were classified as Chara zeylanica and Chara fibrosa. Chara zeylanica is the most common of the two species found in Myanmar and was observed in five lakes, while Chara fibrosa was only found in three lakes. Chara zeylanica seems to prefer calcareous lakes while C. fibrosa was found in both highly and moderate alkaline lakes. Both species were recorded in low-impacted lakes only, with total phosphorous (TP) concentrations below 20 µg L−1. Increased human impact on freshwater habitats must therefore be considered as a factor reducing Chara biodiversity in Myanmar.

ACS Style

Marit Mjelde; Thida Swe; Anders Langangen; Andreas Ballot. A contribution to the knowledge of charophytes in Myanmar; morphological and genetic identification and ecology notes. Botany Letters 2020, 168, 102 -109.

AMA Style

Marit Mjelde, Thida Swe, Anders Langangen, Andreas Ballot. A contribution to the knowledge of charophytes in Myanmar; morphological and genetic identification and ecology notes. Botany Letters. 2020; 168 (1):102-109.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marit Mjelde; Thida Swe; Anders Langangen; Andreas Ballot. 2020. "A contribution to the knowledge of charophytes in Myanmar; morphological and genetic identification and ecology notes." Botany Letters 168, no. 1: 102-109.

Journal article
Published: 05 May 2020 in Toxins
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Lake Steinsfjorden, an important Norwegian location for noble crayfish (Astacus astacus), is often affected by cyanobacterial blooms caused by microcystin (MC)-producing Planktothrix spp. The impact of MCs on noble crayfish as a food source and crayfish health is largely unknown. We investigated the quantities and correlations of MCs in noble crayfish and lake water during and after a cyanobacterial bloom peaking in June–July 2015. Noble crayfish and water samples were collected monthly from June to October 2015 and in October 2016. The content of MCs was analysed by ELISA from tail muscle, intestine, stomach and hepatopancreas. PCR analysis for Planktothrix gene markers was performed on crayfish stomach content. Water samples were analysed for phytoplankton composition, biomass and MCs. PCR-positive stomach contents indicated Planktothrix to be part of the noble crayfish diet. Concentrations of MCs were highest in the hepatopancreas, stomach and intestine, peaking in August–September. Tail muscle contained low concentrations of MCs. Similar levels of MCs were found in crayfish from 2016. Except in September 2015, a normal portion of boiled noble crayfish tails was below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for MCs for humans. Removing the intestine more than halved the content of MCs and seems a reasonable precautionary measure for noble crayfish consumers.

ACS Style

Ingunn Anita Samdal; David Allan Strand; Andreas Ballot; Johannes Christopher Rusch; Sigrid Haande; Kjersti Liv Eriksen Løvberg; Christopher Owen Miles; Trude Vrålstad. Microcystins in European Noble Crayfish Astacus astacus in Lake Steinsfjorden, a Planktothrix-Dominated Lake. Toxins 2020, 12, 298 .

AMA Style

Ingunn Anita Samdal, David Allan Strand, Andreas Ballot, Johannes Christopher Rusch, Sigrid Haande, Kjersti Liv Eriksen Løvberg, Christopher Owen Miles, Trude Vrålstad. Microcystins in European Noble Crayfish Astacus astacus in Lake Steinsfjorden, a Planktothrix-Dominated Lake. Toxins. 2020; 12 (5):298.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ingunn Anita Samdal; David Allan Strand; Andreas Ballot; Johannes Christopher Rusch; Sigrid Haande; Kjersti Liv Eriksen Løvberg; Christopher Owen Miles; Trude Vrålstad. 2020. "Microcystins in European Noble Crayfish Astacus astacus in Lake Steinsfjorden, a Planktothrix-Dominated Lake." Toxins 12, no. 5: 298.

Journal article
Published: 07 April 2020 in Toxins
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Meiktila Lake is a shallow reservoir located close to Meiktila city in central Myanmar. Its water is used for irrigation, domestic purposes and drinking water. No detailed study of the presence of cyanobacteria and their potential toxin production has been conducted so far. To ascertain the cyanobacterial composition and presence of cyanobacterial toxins in Meiktila Lake, water samples were collected in March and November 2017 and investigated for physico-chemical and biological parameters. Phytoplankton composition and biomass determination revealed that most of the samples were dominated by the cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii. In a polyphasic approach, seven isolated cyanobacterial strains were classified morphologically and phylogenetically as R. raciborskii, and Microcystis spp. and tested for microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsins (CYNs), saxitoxins and anatoxins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). ELISA and LC–MS analyses confirmed CYNs in three of the five Raphidiopsis strains between 1.8 and 9.8 μg mg−1 fresh weight. Both Microcystis strains produced MCs, one strain 52 congeners and the other strain 20 congeners, including 22 previously unreported variants. Due to the presence of CYN- and MC-producing cyanobacteria, harmful effects on humans, domestic and wild animals cannot be excluded in Meiktila Lake.

ACS Style

Andreas Ballot; Thida Swe; Marit Mjelde; Leonardo Cerasino; Vladyslava Hostyeva; Christopher O. Miles. Cylindrospermopsin- and Deoxycylindrospermopsin-Producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Microcystin-Producing Microcystis spp. in Meiktila Lake, Myanmar. Toxins 2020, 12, 232 .

AMA Style

Andreas Ballot, Thida Swe, Marit Mjelde, Leonardo Cerasino, Vladyslava Hostyeva, Christopher O. Miles. Cylindrospermopsin- and Deoxycylindrospermopsin-Producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Microcystin-Producing Microcystis spp. in Meiktila Lake, Myanmar. Toxins. 2020; 12 (4):232.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Ballot; Thida Swe; Marit Mjelde; Leonardo Cerasino; Vladyslava Hostyeva; Christopher O. Miles. 2020. "Cylindrospermopsin- and Deoxycylindrospermopsin-Producing Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Microcystin-Producing Microcystis spp. in Meiktila Lake, Myanmar." Toxins 12, no. 4: 232.

Articles
Published: 07 January 2020 in Botany Letters
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Charophyte species delineation is regularly based on a set of thallus morphological characteristics, but considering pronounced phenotypic plasticity, difficulties and doubts commonly occur in Chara species determination. DNA barcoding may contribute to solving these challenges. Here we characterize Chara contraria with an unusual set of morphological characteristics, and specimens morphologically resembling Chara connivens collected in Serbia, by describing their morphological traits and analysing matK barcoding results. Our results indicated that dioecious Chara specimens, tentatively determined as Chara “connivens” based on morphological traits, were genetically more closely related to C. globularis. These Chara “connivens” specimens formed a sister group to a monophyletic C. globularis cluster, suggesting that it may be neither C. connivens nor C. globularis. We strongly encourage further barcoding of C. “connivens” samples from freshwater, in order to find out if there are consistent genetic differences between the dioecious freshwater C. “connivens” and monoecious C. globularis. Barcoding of matK placed the monoecious Chara specimens, which based on morphological characteristics initially were determined as C. virgata, into the C. contraria group. This indicates that the microscopic traits which commonly are used for Chara species determination sometimes are misleading. In general, our study challenges the commonly used phenetic species concept in Charophyte taxonomy and illustrates the importance of molecular approaches to evaluate the validity of morphological characteristics of the plant thallus in species delineation.

ACS Style

Ivana Trbojević; Aleksandra Marković; Jelena Blaženčić; Gordana Subakov Simić; Petra Nowak; Andreas Ballot; Susanne Schneider. Genetic and morphological variation in Chara contraria and a taxon morphologically resembling Chara connivens. Botany Letters 2020, 167, 187 -200.

AMA Style

Ivana Trbojević, Aleksandra Marković, Jelena Blaženčić, Gordana Subakov Simić, Petra Nowak, Andreas Ballot, Susanne Schneider. Genetic and morphological variation in Chara contraria and a taxon morphologically resembling Chara connivens. Botany Letters. 2020; 167 (2):187-200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivana Trbojević; Aleksandra Marković; Jelena Blaženčić; Gordana Subakov Simić; Petra Nowak; Andreas Ballot; Susanne Schneider. 2020. "Genetic and morphological variation in Chara contraria and a taxon morphologically resembling Chara connivens." Botany Letters 167, no. 2: 187-200.

Articles
Published: 22 October 2019 in Botany Letters
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The Troll springs are warm springs on Svalbard (Spitsbergen). Charophytes were collected in the years 1910, 1912, 1958, 1992/1993, and 2018. However, since the Chara samples showed unusual morphological traits, there were doubts with respect to species identity. We here use DNA barcoding to show that there occur two Chara species in the Troll springs: Chara aspera and C. canescens.

ACS Style

Anders Langangen; Andreas Ballot; Petra Nowak; Susanne C. Schneider. Charophytes in warm springs on Svalbard (Spitsbergen): DNA barcoding identifies Chara aspera and Chara canescens with unusual morphological traits. Botany Letters 2019, 167, 179 -186.

AMA Style

Anders Langangen, Andreas Ballot, Petra Nowak, Susanne C. Schneider. Charophytes in warm springs on Svalbard (Spitsbergen): DNA barcoding identifies Chara aspera and Chara canescens with unusual morphological traits. Botany Letters. 2019; 167 (2):179-186.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anders Langangen; Andreas Ballot; Petra Nowak; Susanne C. Schneider. 2019. "Charophytes in warm springs on Svalbard (Spitsbergen): DNA barcoding identifies Chara aspera and Chara canescens with unusual morphological traits." Botany Letters 167, no. 2: 179-186.

Journal article
Published: 30 August 2018 in Phytotaxa
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The taxonomy of four isolated strains of Anabaenopis elenkinii and A. arnoldii from North and South America were investigated using a polyphasic approach. The studied populations were collected from seven alkaline lakes of the Brazilian Pantanal and Nabor Carrillo Lake, Texcoco region (Mexico), between 2004 and 2012, where they frequently formed blooms during the dry season. The morphological plasticity of the populations, from natural and culture conditions, was described based on 200 individuals of each species. The 16S rRNA and the cpc-BA-IGS phylogenetic analyses show Anabaenopsis as a sister-taxon of Cyanospira. The Anabaenopsis clade has three strongly supported subclusters related to the origin of strains: Pantanal+Mexico, Kenya+Australia and one European clade. Although these data indicate that the currently known Anabaenopsis strains belong to more than one species, we are being conservative and not describing them as new species due to the lack of more molecular data. We highlight the need of a revision of the genus, considering also that Anabaenopsis sp. PCC 9215, the current reference strain used for the genus, is not identified as A. elenkinii and it is phylogenetically grouped with Anabaenopsis strains identified as A. circularis, A. arnoldii, A. nadsonii and A. elenkinii.

ACS Style

Kleber Renan De Souza Santos; Guilherme Scotta Hentschke; Ana Paula Dini Andreote; Haywood Dail Laughinghouse IV; Andreas Ballot; Eberto Novelo; Marli Fátima Fiore; Célia Leite Sant’Anna. Polyphasic characterization of newly isolated Anabaenopsis (Cyanobacteria) strains from tropical Brazil and Mexico. Phytotaxa 2018, 367, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Kleber Renan De Souza Santos, Guilherme Scotta Hentschke, Ana Paula Dini Andreote, Haywood Dail Laughinghouse IV, Andreas Ballot, Eberto Novelo, Marli Fátima Fiore, Célia Leite Sant’Anna. Polyphasic characterization of newly isolated Anabaenopsis (Cyanobacteria) strains from tropical Brazil and Mexico. Phytotaxa. 2018; 367 (1):1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kleber Renan De Souza Santos; Guilherme Scotta Hentschke; Ana Paula Dini Andreote; Haywood Dail Laughinghouse IV; Andreas Ballot; Eberto Novelo; Marli Fátima Fiore; Célia Leite Sant’Anna. 2018. "Polyphasic characterization of newly isolated Anabaenopsis (Cyanobacteria) strains from tropical Brazil and Mexico." Phytotaxa 367, no. 1: 1-12.

Research article
Published: 19 July 2018 in PLOS ONE
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a are neurotoxic cyanotoxins produced by benthic and planktonic cyanobacteria worldwide. These toxins are produced by the cyanobacterial genera Dolichospermum, Cuspidothrix, Phormidium, Oscillatoria, Tychonema and Cylindrospermum. In the present study the ana gene clusters (anaA-anaG; c. 21.1 kilobases) of two anatoxin producing Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi strains from Germany: (NIVA-CYA 711) and New Zealand (CAWBG02) were sequenced and compared with the ana gene clusters of two C. issatschenkoi strains from Japan (RM-6 and LBRI48) and one from China (CHABD3). All five ana gene clusters are characterized by the same gene order for anaA-anaG. Similarities were highest (99.56–99.57%) between German (NIVA-CYA 711), New Zealand (CAWBG02) and Chinese (CHABD3) strains. Similarities were lower (91.40–91.67%) when compared to the Japanese strains (RM-6 and LBRI48). Collectively, 2,037 variable sites (328 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 9 insertions/deletions, comprising 1,709 nucleotides) were found in the ana gene clusters of the German, New Zealand and Japanese strains compared to the Chinese strain (CHABD3). The ana gene clusters of the German (NIVA-CYA 711), New Zealand (CAWBG02) and Japanese (RM-6 and LBRI48) strains were characterized by 83, 84, 255 and 231 SNP’s compared to the Chinese strain (CHABD3), respectively. The anaE and anaF genes showed the highest variability in all five strains and are recommended as the best genetic markers for further phylogenetic studies of the ana gene cluster from C. issatschenkoi.

ACS Style

Andreas Ballot; Pia I. Scherer; Susanna A. Wood. Variability in the anatoxin gene clusters of Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi from Germany, New Zealand, China and Japan. PLOS ONE 2018, 13, e0200774 .

AMA Style

Andreas Ballot, Pia I. Scherer, Susanna A. Wood. Variability in the anatoxin gene clusters of Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi from Germany, New Zealand, China and Japan. PLOS ONE. 2018; 13 (7):e0200774.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Ballot; Pia I. Scherer; Susanna A. Wood. 2018. "Variability in the anatoxin gene clusters of Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi from Germany, New Zealand, China and Japan." PLOS ONE 13, no. 7: e0200774.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Veronika Nagy; Attila Agócs; József Deli; Gergely Gulyás-Fekete; Tünde-Zita Illyés; Tibor Kurtán; Erika Turcsi; Szabolcs Béni; Miklós Dékány; Andreas Ballot; Gábor Vasas. Carotenoid glycoside isolated and identified from cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2018, 65, 6 -10.

AMA Style

Veronika Nagy, Attila Agócs, József Deli, Gergely Gulyás-Fekete, Tünde-Zita Illyés, Tibor Kurtán, Erika Turcsi, Szabolcs Béni, Miklós Dékány, Andreas Ballot, Gábor Vasas. Carotenoid glycoside isolated and identified from cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2018; 65 ():6-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Veronika Nagy; Attila Agócs; József Deli; Gergely Gulyás-Fekete; Tünde-Zita Illyés; Tibor Kurtán; Erika Turcsi; Szabolcs Béni; Miklós Dékány; Andreas Ballot; Gábor Vasas. 2018. "Carotenoid glycoside isolated and identified from cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 65, no. : 6-10.

Journal article
Published: 07 August 2017 in Botany Letters
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Abdullah Antar Saber; Andreas Ballot; Susanne C. Schneider; Marco Cantonati. Morphological and molecular features of a Chara vulgaris population from desert springs on the Sinai Peninsula (Springs of Moses, Egypt). Botany Letters 2017, 165, 77 -89.

AMA Style

Abdullah Antar Saber, Andreas Ballot, Susanne C. Schneider, Marco Cantonati. Morphological and molecular features of a Chara vulgaris population from desert springs on the Sinai Peninsula (Springs of Moses, Egypt). Botany Letters. 2017; 165 (1):77-89.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abdullah Antar Saber; Andreas Ballot; Susanne C. Schneider; Marco Cantonati. 2017. "Morphological and molecular features of a Chara vulgaris population from desert springs on the Sinai Peninsula (Springs of Moses, Egypt)." Botany Letters 165, no. 1: 77-89.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2017 in Harmful Algae
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In the last decades, the cyanobacterium Dolichospermum lemmermannii showed an increasing spread to Southern Europe, raising serious concerns due to its ability to produce cyanotoxins. The widening of its geographic distribution and the observation of strains showing high optimum temperature underline its ecological heterogeneity, suggesting the existence of different ecotypes. To investigate its biogeography, new isolates from different European water bodies, together with strains maintained by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research Culture Collection of Algae, were genetically characterised for the 16S rRNA gene and compared with strains obtained from public repositories. Geographic distance highly influenced the differentiation of genotypes, further suggesting the concurrent role of geographic isolation, physical barriers and environmental factors in promoting the establishment of phylogenetic lineages adapted to specific habitats. Differences among populations were also examined by morphological analysis and evaluating the toxic potential of single strains, which revealed the exclusive ability of North European strains to produce microcystins, whereas the populations in Southern Europe tested negative for a wide range of cyanotoxins. The high dispersion ability and the existence of toxic genotypes indicate the possible spread of harmful blooms in other temperate regions.

ACS Style

Camilla Capelli; Andreas Ballot; Leonardo Cerasino; Alessio Papini; Nico Salmaso. Biogeography of bloom-forming microcystin producing and non-toxigenic populations of Dolichospermum lemmermannii (Cyanobacteria). Harmful Algae 2017, 67, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Camilla Capelli, Andreas Ballot, Leonardo Cerasino, Alessio Papini, Nico Salmaso. Biogeography of bloom-forming microcystin producing and non-toxigenic populations of Dolichospermum lemmermannii (Cyanobacteria). Harmful Algae. 2017; 67 ():1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Camilla Capelli; Andreas Ballot; Leonardo Cerasino; Alessio Papini; Nico Salmaso. 2017. "Biogeography of bloom-forming microcystin producing and non-toxigenic populations of Dolichospermum lemmermannii (Cyanobacteria)." Harmful Algae 67, no. : 1-12.

Book chapter
Published: 30 June 2017 in Molecular Tools for the Detection and Quantification of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Clonal strains of toxigenic cyanobacteria isolated from a natural bloom and maintained in culture have provided the basic material for the development of molecular methods. Knowledge in how to isolate and maintain a clonal culture of any toxigenic cyanobacterium is therefore a principal component for the many molecular approaches presented in this handbook. The chapter therefore summarizes the most commonly used methods for isolation, purification and cultivation of toxic cyanobacteria. The aim is to give general advice in how to isolate and maintain clonal cyanobacterial cultures in order to use them in genetic studies. The belonging SOPs describe in detail the methods for isolation, purification and clonal isolate testing (SOP 3.1), isolation of picocyanobacterial cells by flow cytometer (FCM) sorting (SOP 3.2), axenisation (SOP 3.3), preparation of culture media (solid and liquid) (SOP 3.4), strain maintenance of living cultures (SOP 3.5) and cryopreservation and recovery (SOP 3.6).

ACS Style

Sigrid Haande; Iwona Jasser; Muriel Gugger; Camilla H.C. Hagman; Annick Wilmotte; Andreas Ballot. Isolation, Purification, and Cultivation of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria. Molecular Tools for the Detection and Quantification of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria 2017, 43 -78.

AMA Style

Sigrid Haande, Iwona Jasser, Muriel Gugger, Camilla H.C. Hagman, Annick Wilmotte, Andreas Ballot. Isolation, Purification, and Cultivation of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria. Molecular Tools for the Detection and Quantification of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria. 2017; ():43-78.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sigrid Haande; Iwona Jasser; Muriel Gugger; Camilla H.C. Hagman; Annick Wilmotte; Andreas Ballot. 2017. "Isolation, Purification, and Cultivation of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria." Molecular Tools for the Detection and Quantification of Toxigenic Cyanobacteria , no. : 43-78.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2017 in Algal Research
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Piotr Rzymski; Barbara Poniedziałek; Joanna Mankiewicz-Boczek; Elisabeth J. Faassen; Tomasz Jurczak; Ilona Gągała-Borowska; Andreas Ballot; Miquel Lürling; Mikołaj Kokociński. Polyphasic toxicological screening of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Aphanizomenon gracile isolated in Poland. Algal Research 2017, 24, 72 -80.

AMA Style

Piotr Rzymski, Barbara Poniedziałek, Joanna Mankiewicz-Boczek, Elisabeth J. Faassen, Tomasz Jurczak, Ilona Gągała-Borowska, Andreas Ballot, Miquel Lürling, Mikołaj Kokociński. Polyphasic toxicological screening of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Aphanizomenon gracile isolated in Poland. Algal Research. 2017; 24 ():72-80.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piotr Rzymski; Barbara Poniedziałek; Joanna Mankiewicz-Boczek; Elisabeth J. Faassen; Tomasz Jurczak; Ilona Gągała-Borowska; Andreas Ballot; Miquel Lürling; Mikołaj Kokociński. 2017. "Polyphasic toxicological screening of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Aphanizomenon gracile isolated in Poland." Algal Research 24, no. : 72-80.

Book chapter
Published: 11 February 2017 in Handbook of Cyanobacterial Monitoring and Cyanotoxin Analysis
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Saxitoxin and its analogues are potent neurotoxic alkaloids, produced by freshwater prokaryotic cyanobacteria and marine eukaryotic dinoflagellates and are the cause for paralytic shellfish poisoning syndromes in humans. This chapter summarizes key information on structure, toxicity, occurrence, cyanobacterial producers, genetics and biosynthesis, and methods of detection of saxitoxins.

ACS Style

Andreas Ballot; Cécile Bernard; Jutta Fastner. Saxitoxin and Analogues. Handbook of Cyanobacterial Monitoring and Cyanotoxin Analysis 2017, 148 -154.

AMA Style

Andreas Ballot, Cécile Bernard, Jutta Fastner. Saxitoxin and Analogues. Handbook of Cyanobacterial Monitoring and Cyanotoxin Analysis. 2017; ():148-154.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Ballot; Cécile Bernard; Jutta Fastner. 2017. "Saxitoxin and Analogues." Handbook of Cyanobacterial Monitoring and Cyanotoxin Analysis , no. : 148-154.

Research article
Published: 01 December 2016 in PLoS ONE
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin production has been detected worldwide in the cyanobacterial genera Anabaena, Lyngbya, Scytonema, Cuspidothrix and Aphanizomenon. In Europe Aphanizomenon gracile and Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi are the only known producers of PSP toxins and are found in Southwest and Central European freshwater bodies. In this study the PSP toxin producing Aphanizomenon sp. strain NIVA-CYA 851 was isolated from the Norwegian Lake Hillestadvannet. In a polyphasic approach NIVA-CYA 851 was morphologically and phylogenetically classified, and investigated for toxin production. The strain NIVA-CYA 851 was identified as A. gracile using 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and was confirmed to produce neosaxitoxin, saxitoxin and gonyautoxin 5 by LC-MS. The whole sxt gene clusters (circa 27.3 kb) of four A. gracile strains: NIVA-CYA 851 (Norway); NIVA-CYA 655 & NIVA-CYA 676 (Germany); and UAM 529 (Spain), all from latitudes between 40° and 59° North were sequenced and compared with the sxt gene cluster of reference strain A. gracile NH-5 from the USA. All five sxt gene clusters are highly conserved with similarities exceeding 99.4%, but they differ slightly in the number and presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (In/Dels). Altogether 178 variable sites (44 SNPs and 4 In/Dels, comprising 134 nucleotides) were found in the sxt gene clusters of the Norwegian, German and Spanish strains compared to the reference strain. Thirty-nine SNPs were located in 16 of the 27 coding regions. The sxt gene clusters of NIVA-CYA 851, NIVA-CYA 655, NIVA-CYA 676 and UAM 529, were characterized by 15, 16, 19 and 23 SNPs respectively. Only the Norwegian strain NIVA-CYA 851 possessed an insertion of 126 base pairs (bp) in the noncoding area between the sxtA and sxtE genes and a deletion of 6 nucleotides in the sxtN gene. The sxtI gene showed the highest variability and is recommended as the best genetic marker for further phylogenetic studies of the sxt gene cluster of A. gracile. This study confirms for the first time the role of A. gracile as a PSP toxin producer in Norwegian waters, representing the northernmost occurrence of PSP toxin producing A. gracile in Europe known so far.

ACS Style

Andreas Ballot; Leonardo Cerasino; Vladyslava Hostyeva; Samuel Cirés. Variability in the sxt Gene Clusters of PSP Toxin Producing Aphanizomenon gracile Strains from Norway, Spain, Germany and North America. PLoS ONE 2016, 11, e0167552 .

AMA Style

Andreas Ballot, Leonardo Cerasino, Vladyslava Hostyeva, Samuel Cirés. Variability in the sxt Gene Clusters of PSP Toxin Producing Aphanizomenon gracile Strains from Norway, Spain, Germany and North America. PLoS ONE. 2016; 11 (12):e0167552.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Ballot; Leonardo Cerasino; Vladyslava Hostyeva; Samuel Cirés. 2016. "Variability in the sxt Gene Clusters of PSP Toxin Producing Aphanizomenon gracile Strains from Norway, Spain, Germany and North America." PLoS ONE 11, no. 12: e0167552.

Research article
Published: 08 April 2016 in Chemical Research in Toxicology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Microcystins are potent cyclic heptapeptide toxins found in many freshwater cyanobacteria. Most microcystins contain an α,β-unsaturated amide that can react with thiol-containing amino acids, peptides, and proteins in vivo and in vitro. While soluble conjugates formed from small peptides can be extracted and analyzed directly by LC-MS, microcystins conjugated to proteins are analyzed after oxidative cleavage of their Adda side chains, but information on which microcystin analogues were present is lost. Observations during the development of thiol-derivatization-based LC-MS methods for microcystin analysis indicated that the reaction of thiols with microcystins was reversible. The kinetics of deconjugation was investigated with mercaptoethanol as a model thiol to identify suitable reaction conditions. A range of microcystins conjugated to mercaptoethanol, methanethiol, cysteine, and glutathione were then successfully deconjugated, demonstrating the feasibility of releasing conjugated forms of microcystins for chemical analysis. Reagents for removing the released thiols or for trapping the released microcystins increased the reaction rate. Optimization of methodologies based on this reaction should increase the method's utility for measuring free and conjugated microcystins. The results also indicate that thiol-conjugated microcystins slowly release free microcystins, even at neutral pH, with consequences for assessment of toxin exposure, metabolism, and trophic transfer. A range of other common natural and environmental toxins, such as deoxynivalenol and acrylamide, also contain α,β-unsaturated carbonyl groups and can be expected to behave in a similar manner.

ACS Style

Christopher O. Miles; Morten Sandvik; Hezron E. Nonga; Andreas Ballot; Alistair L. Wilkins; Frode Rise; J. Atle H. Jaabaek; Jared I. Loader; Jon Atle H. Jaabæk. Conjugation of Microcystins with Thiols Is Reversible: Base-Catalyzed Deconjugation for Chemical Analysis. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2016, 29, 860 -870.

AMA Style

Christopher O. Miles, Morten Sandvik, Hezron E. Nonga, Andreas Ballot, Alistair L. Wilkins, Frode Rise, J. Atle H. Jaabaek, Jared I. Loader, Jon Atle H. Jaabæk. Conjugation of Microcystins with Thiols Is Reversible: Base-Catalyzed Deconjugation for Chemical Analysis. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2016; 29 (5):860-870.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christopher O. Miles; Morten Sandvik; Hezron E. Nonga; Andreas Ballot; Alistair L. Wilkins; Frode Rise; J. Atle H. Jaabaek; Jared I. Loader; Jon Atle H. Jaabæk. 2016. "Conjugation of Microcystins with Thiols Is Reversible: Base-Catalyzed Deconjugation for Chemical Analysis." Chemical Research in Toxicology 29, no. 5: 860-870.

Review
Published: 01 April 2016 in Harmful Algae
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The traditional genus Aphanizomenon comprises a group of filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria of which several memebers are able to develop blooms and to produce toxic metabolites (cyanotoxins), including hepatotoxins (microcystins), neurotoxins (anatoxins and saxitoxins) and cytotoxins (cylindrospermopsin). This genus, representing geographically widespread and extensively studied cyanobacteria, is in fact heterogeneous and composed of at least five phylogenetically distant groups (Aphanizomenon, Anabaena/Aphanizomenon like cluster A, Cuspidothrix, Sphaerospermopsis and Chrysosporum) whose taxonomy is still under revision. This review provides a thorough insight into the phylogeny, ecology, biogeography and toxicogenomics (cyr, sxt, and ana genes) of the five best documented “Aphanizomenon” species with special relevance for water risk assessment: Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Aphanizomenon gracile, Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi, Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Chrysosporum ovalisporum. Aph. flos-aquae, Aph. gracile and C. issatschenkoi have been reported from temperate areas only whereas S. aphanizomenoides shows the widest distribution from the tropics to temperate areas. Ch. ovalisporum is found in tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean areas. While all five species show moderate growth rates (0.1–0.4 day−1) within a wide range of temperatures (15–30 °C), Aph. gracile and A. flos-aquae can grow from around (or below) 10 °C, whereas Ch. ovalisporum and S. aphanizomenoides are much better competitors at high temperatures over 30 °C or even close to 35 °C. A. gracile has been confirmed as the producer of saxitoxins and cylindrospermopsin, C. issatschenkoi of anatoxins and saxitoxins and Ch. ovalisporum of cylindrospermopsin. The suspected cylindrospermopsin or anatoxin-a production of A. flos-aquae or microcystin production of S. aphanizomenoides is still uncertain. This review includes a critical discussion on the the reliability of toxicity reports and on the invasive potential of “Aphanizomenon” species in a climate change scenario, together with derived knowledge gaps and research needs. As a whole, this work is intended to represent a key reference for scientists and water managers involved in the major challenges of identifying, preventing and mitigating toxic Aphanizomenon blooms.

ACS Style

Samuel Cirés; Andreas Ballot. A review of the phylogeny, ecology and toxin production of bloom-forming Aphanizomenon spp. and related species within the Nostocales (cyanobacteria). Harmful Algae 2016, 54, 21 -43.

AMA Style

Samuel Cirés, Andreas Ballot. A review of the phylogeny, ecology and toxin production of bloom-forming Aphanizomenon spp. and related species within the Nostocales (cyanobacteria). Harmful Algae. 2016; 54 ():21-43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samuel Cirés; Andreas Ballot. 2016. "A review of the phylogeny, ecology and toxin production of bloom-forming Aphanizomenon spp. and related species within the Nostocales (cyanobacteria)." Harmful Algae 54, no. : 21-43.

Original articles
Published: 30 March 2016 in European Journal of Phycology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Charophytes are benthic algae with a complex morphology and high phenotypic plasticity. This has led to ambiguities in species delineation. However, until now genetic studies on Chara have been based on samples collected from a restricted geographic range or only included a restricted number of taxa. This may have hindered a general interpretation of the results. We applied barcoding of matK, a rapidly evolving coding section of the plastid genome, in 324 Chara samples collected from 19 countries, in order to test whether the distribution of barcode haplotypes among individuals was consistent with species boundaries as they are currently understood. The phylogenetic tree grouped the 324 Chara individuals, which according to commonly used identification keys represented 29 species, into 12 well-defined groups (i.e. monophyletic morphospecies or groups of morphospecies). Considerable morphological variation occurred within genetically homogeneous groups. This included traits which are commonly used for Chara species determination, such as the length and number of spine cells, the length of stipulodes and bract cells, cortication (tylacanthous, isostichous, aulacanthous and absent cortication), as well as sex differentiation. However, there were also substantial genetic differences among morphologically similar species (e.g. C. virgata – C. globularis – C. connivens). No morphological trait consistently reflected genetic differences. This indicates that morphological traits for specific taxa may serve as diagnostic tools for species delimitation, but that they are not generally suitable for inferring genetic differentiation or phylogenetic relationships. We propose that (i) C. virgata and C. strigosa, (ii) C. liljebladii, C. horrida and C. baltica, and (iii) C. hispida, C. rudis and C. polyacantha are conspecific. Our data also indicate that C. gymnophylla should be divided into tylacanthous forms (which are closely related to C. contraria) and aulacanthous forms (which are related to C. vulgaris).

ACS Style

Susanne C. Schneider; Petra Nowak; Ulla Von Ammon; Andreas Ballot. Species differentiation in the genus Chara (Charophyceae): considerable phenotypic plasticity occurs within homogenous genetic groups. European Journal of Phycology 2016, 51, 282 -293.

AMA Style

Susanne C. Schneider, Petra Nowak, Ulla Von Ammon, Andreas Ballot. Species differentiation in the genus Chara (Charophyceae): considerable phenotypic plasticity occurs within homogenous genetic groups. European Journal of Phycology. 2016; 51 (3):282-293.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Susanne C. Schneider; Petra Nowak; Ulla Von Ammon; Andreas Ballot. 2016. "Species differentiation in the genus Chara (Charophyceae): considerable phenotypic plasticity occurs within homogenous genetic groups." European Journal of Phycology 51, no. 3: 282-293.

Journal article
Published: 03 March 2015 in Journal of Phycology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Charophytes (Charales) are benthic algae with a complex morphology. They are vulnerable to ecosystem changes, such as eutrophication, and are red-listed in many countries. Accurate identification of Chara species is critical for understanding their diversity and for documenting changes in species distribution. Species delineation is, however, complicated, because of high phenotypic plasticity. We used barcodes of the ITS2, matK and rbcL regions to test if the distribution of barcode haplotypes among individuals is consistent with species boundaries as they are currently understood. The study included freshly collected and herbarium material of 91 specimens from 10 European countries, Canada and Argentina. Results showed that herbarium specimens are useful as a source of material for genetic analyses for aquatic plants like Chara. rbcL and matK had highest sequence recoverability, but rbcL had a somewhat lower discriminatory power than ITS2 and matK. The tree resulting from the concatenated data matrix grouped the samples into six main groups contrary to a traditional morphological approach that consisted of 14 different taxa. A large unresolved group consisted of C. intermedia, C. hispida, C. horrida, C. baltica, C. polyacantha, C. rudis, C. aculeolata, and C. corfuensis. A second unresolved group consisted of C. virgata and C. strigosa. The taxa within each of the unresolved groups shared identical barcode sequences on the 977 positions of the concatenated data matrix. The morphological differences of taxa within both unresolved groups include the number and length of spine cells, stipulodes, and bract cells. We suggest that these morphological traits have less taxonomic relevance than hitherto assumed.

ACS Style

Susanne C. Schneider; Anuar Rodrigues; Therese Fosholt Moe; Andreas Ballot. DNA barcoding the genus Chara : molecular evidence recovers fewer taxa than the classical morphological approach. Journal of Phycology 2015, 51, 367 -380.

AMA Style

Susanne C. Schneider, Anuar Rodrigues, Therese Fosholt Moe, Andreas Ballot. DNA barcoding the genus Chara : molecular evidence recovers fewer taxa than the classical morphological approach. Journal of Phycology. 2015; 51 (2):367-380.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Susanne C. Schneider; Anuar Rodrigues; Therese Fosholt Moe; Andreas Ballot. 2015. "DNA barcoding the genus Chara : molecular evidence recovers fewer taxa than the classical morphological approach." Journal of Phycology 51, no. 2: 367-380.