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Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of psbA from the dinoflagellates: Origin of the dinoflagellate plastid
Author(s) -
Takishita Kiyotaka,
Uchida Aritsune
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
phycological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.438
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1835
pISSN - 1322-0829
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1835.1999.00163.x
Subject(s) - biology , plastid , dinoflagellate , peridinin , botany , alexandrium tamarense , phylogenetic tree , genetics , gene , algae , chloroplast , ecology , algal bloom , fucoxanthin , phytoplankton , nutrient
Cloning and sequencing of psbA, the gene encoding D1 protein of photosystem II, from six species of dinoflagellates harboring a peridinin type plastid [ Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg , Amphidinium carterae Hulburt , Heterocapsa triquetra Stein , Lingulodinium polyedra (Dodge) Stein , Alexandrium tamarense (Lebour) Balech and Alexandrium catenella (Whedon et Kofoid) Balech] is reported. Using the polymerase chain reaction technique, the psbA gene was detected in a satellite DNA band isolated from total DNA of A. catenella by CsCl‐Hoechst 33258 gradient ultracentrifugation. This finding suggests that in dinoflagellates psbA is encoded in the plastid genome. The deduced amino acid sequences of D1 from the dinoflagellates did not reveal a typical ‘C‐terminus extension’, which should be removed by proteolytic cleavage from the D1 precursor. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the deduced amino acid sequences of D1 revealed that the six species of dinoflagellates are monophyletic and also showed that dinoflagellates cluster with rhodophytes, a cryptophyte and heterokonts. These results support the hypothesis that the peridinin type plastid in dinoflagellates originated from an engulfed red alga.