Distribution and genetic diversity of the parasitic dinoflagellate Amoebophrya in coastal waters of China

Publication date: November 2019Source: Harmful Algae, Volume 89Author(s): Tiantian Chen, Jie Xiao, Yun Liu, Shuqun Song, Caiwen LiAbstractAmoebophrya is an obligate endoparasite infecting wide ranges of marine organisms in coastal and oceanic waters. The parasitoid has received growing attention, due to its enormous genetic diversity in seawaters and suppressive effects on the growth of host dinoflagellates. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by planktonic dinoflagellates have significantly impacted the coastal environment and mariculture in China. Series of studies have been conducted to reveal the occurrence mechanism and negative impacts of HABs in past decades, while the factors contributing to the recession of HABs have rarely been studied. Thus, the host range, prevalence and diversity of Amoebophrya along the coastline of China were systemically investigated to facilitate future studies on the ecological roles of the parasitoid. Overall, 10 dinoflagellate taxa were found to be infected by Amoebophrya spp., and the prevalence ranged from 0.03% to 2.50%. Sequencing of environmental genomic DNA revealed substantial diversity and significant regional heterogeneity of Amoebophryidae sequences derived from 12 coastal bays, while no significant correlation was observed among geographical locations. Phylogenetic analyses of 18S rDNA sequences derived from individual Amoebophrya-infected cells indicated the host divergence of the parasitoid and lend credence to the multiple spe...
Source: Harmful Algae - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research