Predator-induced defense decreases growth rate and photoprotective capacity in a nitrogen-limited dinoflagellate, Alexandrium minutum
(2024) In Harmful Algae 139.- Abstract
Some dinoflagellates produce toxic secondary metabolites that correlate with increased resistance to grazers. The allocation costs of toxin production have been repeatedly addressed, but with conflicting results. Few studies have considered the potential costs of this defense to the photosystem, even though defense toxins (e.g., karlotoxins and brevetoxins) are closely linked to the photoprotective process. Here, we used chemical cues from copepods to induce paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) production in resource-limited Alexandrium minutum and quantitatively determined the growth rate and potential trade-offs with the photosystem process. The results show that grazer-induced, more toxic A. minutum had larger cell volume, lower cell... (More)
Some dinoflagellates produce toxic secondary metabolites that correlate with increased resistance to grazers. The allocation costs of toxin production have been repeatedly addressed, but with conflicting results. Few studies have considered the potential costs of this defense to the photosystem, even though defense toxins (e.g., karlotoxins and brevetoxins) are closely linked to the photoprotective process. Here, we used chemical cues from copepods to induce paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) production in resource-limited Alexandrium minutum and quantitatively determined the growth rate and potential trade-offs with the photosystem process. The results show that grazer-induced, more toxic A. minutum had larger cell volume, lower cell division rate, and lower pigment content under nitrogen-limited conditions than control cells. In addition, predator cues led to a lower relative abundance of photoprotective xanthophylls and a reduced de-epoxidation efficiency of the xanthophyll cycle under high light conditions, reducing the ability of the cells to resist photodamage. Decreased photoprotective capacity may reflect an overlooked defense cost of toxin production.
(Less)
- author
- Zhang, Jingjing LU ; Ryderheim, Fredrik ; Selander, Erik LU ; Wünsch, Urban and Kiørboe, Thomas
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Inducible defense, Photoprotective cost, Trade-off, Xanthophyll cycle
- in
- Harmful Algae
- volume
- 139
- article number
- 102734
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39567071
- scopus:85205834788
- ISSN
- 1568-9883
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.hal.2024.102734
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c2ed87fd-5bac-4bc6-9f55-736b19b5257a
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-27 13:41:59
- date last changed
- 2025-07-10 08:27:50
@article{c2ed87fd-5bac-4bc6-9f55-736b19b5257a,
abstract = {{<p>Some dinoflagellates produce toxic secondary metabolites that correlate with increased resistance to grazers. The allocation costs of toxin production have been repeatedly addressed, but with conflicting results. Few studies have considered the potential costs of this defense to the photosystem, even though defense toxins (e.g., karlotoxins and brevetoxins) are closely linked to the photoprotective process. Here, we used chemical cues from copepods to induce paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) production in resource-limited Alexandrium minutum and quantitatively determined the growth rate and potential trade-offs with the photosystem process. The results show that grazer-induced, more toxic A. minutum had larger cell volume, lower cell division rate, and lower pigment content under nitrogen-limited conditions than control cells. In addition, predator cues led to a lower relative abundance of photoprotective xanthophylls and a reduced de-epoxidation efficiency of the xanthophyll cycle under high light conditions, reducing the ability of the cells to resist photodamage. Decreased photoprotective capacity may reflect an overlooked defense cost of toxin production.</p>}},
author = {{Zhang, Jingjing and Ryderheim, Fredrik and Selander, Erik and Wünsch, Urban and Kiørboe, Thomas}},
issn = {{1568-9883}},
keywords = {{Inducible defense; Photoprotective cost; Trade-off; Xanthophyll cycle}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Harmful Algae}},
title = {{Predator-induced defense decreases growth rate and photoprotective capacity in a nitrogen-limited dinoflagellate, Alexandrium minutum}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2024.102734}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.hal.2024.102734}},
volume = {{139}},
year = {{2024}},
}