Premium
AMPHIDINIUM OPERCULATUM VAR. NOV. GIBBOSUM (DINOPHYCEAE), A FREE‐SWIMMING MARINE SPECIES PRODUCING CYTOTOXIC METABOLITES 1
Author(s) -
Maranda Lucie,
Shimizu Yuzuru
Publication year - 1996
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.0022-3646.1996.00873.x
Subject(s) - dinophyceae , biology , dinoflagellate , ultrastructure , chloroplast , botany , phytoplankton , biochemistry , ecology , gene , nutrient
A single‐cell isolate of Amphidinium from the northern Caribbean Sea was identified as A. operculatum Clap. et Lack. var. nov. gibbosum Maranda et Shimizu based on a morphological and ultrastructural study. This free‐swimming dinoflagellate, which was found to produce potent antitumor metabolites, is elongate and asymmetrical. It is compared with two close relatives A. klebsii Kofoid et Swezy and A. carterae Hulburt. Amphidinium operculatum var. gibbosum can be distinguished from A. klebsii on the basis of shape while it differs from A. carterae on the basis of size, shape, cell surface, and chloroplast arrangement. The shape and size of the nucleus and the presence of mucocysts also differentiate the gibbosum variety from its two relatives. The architecture of the pusule may ultimately provide the best ultrastructural discriminating character. Otherwise, the general ultra‐structure of the Caribbean isolate is typical of many unarmored photo synthetic dinoflagellates with amphiesma, condensed chromosomes, trichocysts, mitochondria with tubular cristae, and trilamellar chloroplasts.