You are here:
LIPID BIOMARKER CHARACTERIZATION OF BLOOM-RELATED DINOFLAGELLATES AND OTHER EUKARYOTIC ALGAE
Citation:
Leblond, J. D. AND P J. Chapman. LIPID BIOMARKER CHARACTERIZATION OF BLOOM-RELATED DINOFLAGELLATES AND OTHER EUKARYOTIC ALGAE. Presented at NHEERL Post-Doc Symposium, Research Triangle Park, NC, November 2-3, 1999.
Description:
Marine eukaryotic algae synthesize an array of lipids of chemotaxonomic utility that are potentially valuable in characterizing phytoplankton communities. Sterols and photopigments characteristic of dinoflagellates are rarely found in other algal classes. Long chain (C28) highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) have also recently been identified as dinoflagellate constituents. To evaluate the utility of these and other biomarkers in distinguishing the dinoflagellate community in phytoplankton blooms, a survey was conducted of lipid constituents of various microalgae, including representatives of the Cryptophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Haptophyceae, Prasinophyceae, and Raphidophyceae. Silica column chromatography was used to obtain principal lipid classes, which were characterized by TLC-FID. GC/MS analyses of free and esterified fatty acids and sterols, and HPLC analysis of photopigments were also performed. Compositional differences of fatty acids, including HUFAs, associated with various lipid classes are examined for their diagnostic potential.