5.6. Meta-Analysis of Perennial Microcystin Composition in Northern Lake Taihu

Although the production of microcystin congeners in northern Lake Taihu has been extensively documented [50,89], the perennial microcystin composition pattern on a large spatial scale over the decade is lacking but is necessary for studying the long-term adaptation of indigenous degraders to the local microcystin production. To address this gap, we carried out a meta-analysis on the previously reported data of microcystin production in northern Lake Taihu. The entire meta-analysis procedure is shown in Figure S3. Briefly, a literature search of the ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed databases was performed to identify relevant studies involving the quantification of microcystin variants in algal samples from northern Lake Taihu. No restriction was imposed on the time of publication. Studies were considered eligible if they provided both the sampling time and microcystin congener quantification data. The data were then extracted from selected studies, including quantification data for microcystin congeners, sampling location, and sampling time. If microcystin data were only graphically presented, the figures were imported into Microsoft PowerPoint and numerical values were manually estimated by comparing the relative distance of each datum point along the x or y axis with the corresponding scale on the axis. After data extraction, the profile of microcystin composition in each sample was evaluated by quantifying the proportion of each microcystin congener in total microcystins.