Molecular Detection Of Toxigenic New Record Cyanobacterium Westiellopsis Prolifica In Tigris River

Abstract Westiellopsis prolifica blue-green alga was investigated to produce microcystin. Between 2011 and 2012 three isolates of Westiellopsis prolifica were obtained from fresh water in three sites of Tigris River and identified by light compound microscope as new record species in Iraqi freshwater belonged to the order of Stigonematales. Two sets of primers were used to detect cyanobacterium DNA and gene involved in microcystin synthesis. The results revealed that all isolates of Westiellopsis prolifica amplified a gene fragment from the phycocyanin shared by all cyanobacteria and myc E belonged to microcystin. Our data concluded that Westiellopsis prolifica producer of microcystin and myc E was the first time used to identify microcystin in this genus.