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PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP OF THE RED TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE GYMNODINIUM BREVE TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GENERA GYMNODINIUM AND GYRODINIUM
Citation:
Devereux, R D., J. D. Leblond, AND J E. Rogers. PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP OF THE RED TIDE DINOFLAGELLATE GYMNODINIUM BREVE TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GENERA GYMNODINIUM AND GYRODINIUM. Presented at Symposium on Harmful Marine Algae in the U.S, Woods Hole, MA, 5-9 December 2000.
Description:
Phylogenetic relationships between the red-tide dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve and other members of the genera Gymnodinium and Gyrodinium have not been studied at the molecular level. G. breve is most noted for its production of brevetoxin, which has been linked to extensive fish kills, marine mammal mortalities, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, and respiratory irritation caused by aerosolized toxin (Steidinger et al. 1997). The phylogeny of four isolates of G. breve and of seventeen other members of the genera Gymnodinium and Gyrodinium was determined by comparison of small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes. The sequences of the G. breve isolates differed from each other by less than 0.3%. In addition, sequences were obtained from twenty-three other members of the class Dinophyceae, including several members of the Gymnodinium/Peridinium/Prorocentrum (GPP) complex, and Coolia and Fragilidium species isolated in this laboratory. The rRNA sequences of the G. breve isolates were aligned with these and other previously published full-length dinoflagellate sequences. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that G. breve is closely related to the morphologically similar dinoflagellates Gymnodinim mikimotoi and Gymnodinium galatheanum.The phylogenetic position of G. breve, G. mikimotoi, and G. galatheanum are further supported by data that show these three species possess sterols unlike other dinoflagellates (Leblond and Chapman, 2000).