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JPR Advance Access published online on October 8, 2007
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbm075
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Testing a molecular protocol to monitor the presence of golden mussel larvae (Limnoperna fortunei) in plankton samples

Walter A. Boeger1,2,3, Marcio R. Pie1,3,*, Renan M. Falleiros1,3, Antonio Ostrensky3,4, Gustavo Darrigran5, Maria Cristina Dreher Mansur6 and Carlos E. Belz7

1 Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 2 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brasil 3 Grupo Integrado de Aqüicultura e Estudos Ambientais, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 4 Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 5 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina 6 Laboratório de Ecologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil 7 Instituto de Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento - LACTEC, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

* Address for correspondence: Departamento de Zoologia, Caixa Postal 19073, Universidade Federal do Paraná , Curitiba, PR 81531-990, Brazil. E-mail: pie{at}ufpr.br Phone: +55(41) 3361 1558. Fax: +55 (41) 3350 5634.

Received on June 9, 2007; revised on September 22, 2007; accepted on October 3, 2007


  Abstract

The golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei, Mollusca: Mytilidae) is an emerging invasive species in freshwater environments in South America, causing extensive environmental and economic impacts. A molecular method to detect larvae of the golden mussel in plankton samples has been recently developed and holds promise for becoming an important way to monitor the expansion of golden mussel populations. In the present study we conduct, for the first time, field tests of this method by comparing its performance with alternative sampling efforts (microscopy and manual search for adults). In addition, we test different modifications of the molecular method to deal with PCR inhibition in environmental samples. The results indicate that the molecular method is very efficient, being faster and more sensitive that microscopy methods. Therefore, the molecular method tested in the present study can represent an invaluable tool in large-scale monitoring efforts of the golden mussel throughout its introduced range.

Key Words: biofouling • environmental samples • molecular markers • invasive species • PCR inhibition

Communicating Editor: K.J. Flynn


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