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STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF PLASTID DNA IN TWO ANOMALOUSLY PIGMENTED DINOFLAGELLATES 1
Author(s) -
Kite Geoffrey C.,
Dodge John D.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1985.00050.x
Subject(s) - plastid , biology , haptophyte , nucleoid , diatom , emiliania huxleyi , botany , dna , endosymbiosis , phylogenetic tree , genetics , chloroplast , gene , phytoplankton , ecology , escherichia coli , nutrient
ABSTRACT The structural organization of DNA in the plastids of two anomalously pigmented dinoflagellates, Glenodinium foliaceum Stein and Gyrodinium aureolum Hulburt, was determined using the DNA‐specific fluorochrome DAPI and correlated with TEM observations. The plastids of G. foliaceum were found to possess both a peripheral DNA ring and isolated point nucleoids. This arrangement was shown to be similar to that of the diatom Asterionella formosa Hass. and may be characteristic of the Bacillariophyceae. G. aureolum exhibited a novel distribution of plastid. DNA as one or two beaded bands, whereas the plastids of the similarly pigmented haptophyte, Emiliania huxleyi (Lohm.) Hay & Mohler, possessed scattered point nucleoids. These findings support the idea that G. foliaceum harbours an endosymbiotic diatom, but suggest that the plastids of G. aureolum and E. huxleyi are unrelated. The use of plastid DNA configuration as a phylogenetic marker is considered.