Laboratory of Plankton Systems, Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Published: January 2016
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
The dinoflagellate genus Chytriodinium, an ectoparasite of copepod eggs, is reported for the first time in the North and South Atlantic Oceans. We provide the first large subunit rDNA (LSU rDNA) and Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences, which were identical in both hemispheres for the Atlantic Chytriodinium sp. The first complete small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) of the Atlantic Chytriodinium sp. suggests that the specimens belong to an undescribed species. This is the first evidence of the split of the Gymnodinium clade: one for the parasitic forms of Chytriodiniaceae (Chytriodinium, Dissodinium), and other clade for the free-living species.
CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China. Electronic address:
The dinoflagellate genus Pfiesteria, encompassing Pfiesteria piscicida and P. shumwayae, became a hot topic in HABs research in the early 2000s due to numerous but controversial reports regarding life cycle and toxicity. While Pfiesteria presence has been reported from all continents, surprisingly, there has been no documented presence in China to date.
Background: Marine sponges are dominant components of Antarctic benthos and representative of the high endemism that characterizes this environment. All microbial groups are part of the Antarctic sponge holobionts, but microbial eukaryotes have been studied less, and their symbiotic role still needs to be better understood. Here, we characterize the dynamics of microbial eukaryotes associated with Antarctic sponges, focusing on dinoflagellates over three summer periods to better understand the members, interannual variations, and trophic and lifestyle strategies.
Free-living core dinoflagellates are commonly infected by members of two parasitic clades that are themselves closely related to dinoflagellates, the marine alveolates and perkinsids. These parasites are abundant and ecologically important, but most species have been difficult to observe directly or cultivate, so our knowledge of them is usually restricted to environmental 18S rRNA gene sequences, as genome-scale molecular data are not available for most species. Here, we report the finding of several of these parasites infecting free-living dinoflagellates.
Amphidoma languida, a dinoflagellate known for producing the toxin azaspiracids, has been detected in environmental DNA in the Asia Pacific, despite no confirmed sightings.
The study examined the morphology, ultrastructure, and phylogeny of nine recently isolated strains of Amphidoma from Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines, revealing differences from the Atlantic species.
Findings indicate that these Pacific strains, proposed as a new species named Amphidoma fulgens sp. nov., are non-toxigenic and display unique structural features compared to Am. languida.
Dinoflagellates are an abundant and diverse group of protists representing a wealth of unique biology and ecology. While many dinoflagellates are photosynthetic or mixotrophic, many taxa are heterotrophs, often with complex feeding strategies. Compared to their photosynthetic counterparts, heterotrophic dinoflagellates remain understudied, as they are difficult to culture.
