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SEXUALITY AND CYST FORMATION IN PACIFIC STRAINS OF THE TOXIC D1NOFLAGELLATE GONYAULAX TAMARENSIS 1, 2
Author(s) -
Turpin D. H.,
Dobell P. E. R.,
Taylor F. J. R.
Publication year - 1978
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.1529-8817.1978.tb02454.x
Subject(s) - biology , strain (injury) , ecdysis , cyst , botany , taxonomy (biology) , flagellum , zoology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , anatomy , genetics , larva , medicine , moulting , radiology
Sexuality has been established for a culture of Gonyaulax tarnarensis Lebour (strain NEPCC–71). The addition of a thick inoculum to a nitrogen–deprived medium results in the occurrence of anisogamous sexual fusion within the first three days in the new culture. Planozygotes, large “lumpy” cells recognizable by their four flagella, may persist up to 2 wk before forming a smooth–walled, oval hypnozygote. The latter resembles cysts released asexually by ecdysis but has a slightly thicker wall. Viable cysts resembling hypnozygotes (zygotic cysts), but with reduced photosynthetic pigmentation, have been isolated from natural murine sediments in Hidden Basin, British Columbia, and a culture (strain NEPCC–254) was initiated from excysted individuals. Zygotic cysts of NEPCC–71 remained encysted in the light at 17 C for 8 wk before excysting. The presence of a ventral pen with toxicity in the latter strain indicates that the taxonomy of G. tamarensis‐ like organisms is still in a stale of flux and the criteria for recognition of G. excavata ( Braarud) Balech as a separate species are not satisfactory as presently formulated .