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From homothally to heterothally; mating preferences and genetic variation within clones of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum

Figueroa, Rosa LU ; Rengefors, Karin LU ; Bravo, Isabel and Bensch, Staffan LU (2010) In Deep-Sea Research. Part Ii, Topical Studies in Oceanography 57(3-4). p.190-198
Abstract
The chain-forming dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum Graham is responsible for outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a human health threat in coastal waters. Sexuality in this species is of great importance in its bloom dynamics, and has been shown to be very complex but lacks an explanation. For this reason, we tested if unreported homothallic behavior and rapid genetic changes may clarify the sexual system of this alga. To achieve this objective, 12 clonal strains collected from the Spanish coast were analyzed for the presence of sexual reproduction. Mating affinity results, self-compatibility studies, and genetic fingerprinting (amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP) analysis on clonal strains, showed three facts... (More)
The chain-forming dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum Graham is responsible for outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a human health threat in coastal waters. Sexuality in this species is of great importance in its bloom dynamics, and has been shown to be very complex but lacks an explanation. For this reason, we tested if unreported homothallic behavior and rapid genetic changes may clarify the sexual system of this alga. To achieve this objective, 12 clonal strains collected from the Spanish coast were analyzed for the presence of sexual reproduction. Mating affinity results, self-compatibility studies, and genetic fingerprinting (amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP) analysis on clonal strains, showed three facts not previously described for this species: (i) That there is a continuous mating system within G. catenatum, with either self-compatible strains (homothallic), or strains that needed to be outcrossed (heterothallic), and with a range of differences in cyst production among the crosses. (ii) There was intraclonal genetic variation, i.e. genetic variation within an asexual lineage. Moreover, the variability among homothallic clones was smaller than among the heterothallic ones. (iii) Sibling strains (the two strains established by the germination of one cyst) increased their intra- and inter-sexual compatibility with time. To summarize, we have found that G. catenatum's sexual system is much more complex than previously described, including complex homothallic/heterothallic behaviors. Additionally, high rates of genetic variability may arise in clonal strains, although explanations for the mechanisms responsible are still lacking. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Gymnodinium catenatum, AFLPs, Sexual, compatibility, Life cycle, Intraclonal genetic variation, Mating, Dinophyceae, Encystment
in
Deep-Sea Research. Part Ii, Topical Studies in Oceanography
volume
57
issue
3-4
pages
190 - 198
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000275943900005
  • scopus:77549085850
ISSN
0967-0645
DOI
10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.016
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ca2249b2-4165-46d8-9e75-c0e3ad7e39e9 (old id 1445384)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:59:43
date last changed
2024-05-05 02:08:24
@article{ca2249b2-4165-46d8-9e75-c0e3ad7e39e9,
  abstract     = {{The chain-forming dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum Graham is responsible for outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a human health threat in coastal waters. Sexuality in this species is of great importance in its bloom dynamics, and has been shown to be very complex but lacks an explanation. For this reason, we tested if unreported homothallic behavior and rapid genetic changes may clarify the sexual system of this alga. To achieve this objective, 12 clonal strains collected from the Spanish coast were analyzed for the presence of sexual reproduction. Mating affinity results, self-compatibility studies, and genetic fingerprinting (amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP) analysis on clonal strains, showed three facts not previously described for this species: (i) That there is a continuous mating system within G. catenatum, with either self-compatible strains (homothallic), or strains that needed to be outcrossed (heterothallic), and with a range of differences in cyst production among the crosses. (ii) There was intraclonal genetic variation, i.e. genetic variation within an asexual lineage. Moreover, the variability among homothallic clones was smaller than among the heterothallic ones. (iii) Sibling strains (the two strains established by the germination of one cyst) increased their intra- and inter-sexual compatibility with time. To summarize, we have found that G. catenatum's sexual system is much more complex than previously described, including complex homothallic/heterothallic behaviors. Additionally, high rates of genetic variability may arise in clonal strains, although explanations for the mechanisms responsible are still lacking. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Figueroa, Rosa and Rengefors, Karin and Bravo, Isabel and Bensch, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{0967-0645}},
  keywords     = {{Gymnodinium catenatum; AFLPs; Sexual; compatibility; Life cycle; Intraclonal genetic variation; Mating; Dinophyceae; Encystment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3-4}},
  pages        = {{190--198}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Deep-Sea Research. Part Ii, Topical Studies in Oceanography}},
  title        = {{From homothally to heterothally; mating preferences and genetic variation within clones of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.016}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.09.016}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}