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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reproduction cycle and tolerance to temperature and salinity of Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown, 1931) (Dinoflagellida).

Reproduction cycle and tolerance to temperature and salinity of Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown, 1931) ( Dinoflagellida ) was investigated in the laboratory using postlarval Sparus aurata (L.) as fish host and by in vitro study of the parasite is reproductive stage. Trophont growth was linear by length and exponential by volume, continuous to detachment stage at the size of 50-90 microns in length. At 19-24 degrees C detachment occurred gradually during the 3-5th days after settlement. At 16 degrees C growth, as well as detachment, was delayed. However, by the 6-7th day trophonts still attached exceeded 100 microns in length. When detached, trophonts of any age and size were transformed into dividing tomonts . 24-hour old, less than 25 microns length trophonts , however, immediately sporulated with no division. The number of divisions to sporulation was related to the size at detachment. For reproduction, 18-30 degrees C was the optimal temperature range, although the minimal division time was at 23-27 degrees C. Divisions were delayed and sporulation was interrupted at 15 degrees C. Complete interruption of division and gradual mortality occurred at 8 degrees C. At 35 degrees C the reproduction process of the tomonts was severely damaged. Tolerance to salinity was dependent on ambient temperature and was the widest at 24-25 degrees C. Divisions occurred between 1-78 ppt, but uninterrupted division, full yield sporulation and effective infection of fish occurred only between 10 to 60 ppt. No division occurred above 80 ppt, however, short term incubation up to 4 days in salinities up to 180 ppt did not affect division potency. Wide variation in tolerance was, however, evident between tested population as well as individual tomont in each population.

Animals↗

Pathology of Piscinoodinium sp. (Protozoa: Dinoflagellida), parasites of the ornamental freshwater catfishes Corydoras spp. and Brochis splendens (Pisces: Callichthyidae).

Piscinoodinium sp. (Protozoa, Dinoflagellida) was commonly found on routine smears of samples of Brochis splendens and Corydoras spp. imported into Britain from South America, and on samples of the same group of fish examined at the exporters' holding facilities in Brazil. Infected fish had trophonts of different sizes on the gills and skin. In histological sections of the skin, the trophonts were found to be attached within depressions of different depths or enclosed by hyperplastic epithelial cells. Such enclosed trophonts have not previously been reported. Since some of the enclosed trophonts were dead, it was thought that enclosure was a result of the deep penetration of the trophont and the host defence mechanism. On the gills the Piscinoodinium infection was commonly associated with epithelial hypertrophy, focal and diffuse hyperplasia, oedema of the respiratory epithelium and lamellar fusion. The presence of this protozoan on different species of fish from the same shipment suggests that the infection was acquired before export. The source of infection and the stages of the export process which expose the fish to the highest risk of infection are discussed.

Animals↗

Extraction model of the longitudinal flagellum of Ceratium tripos (Dinoflagellida): reactivation of flagellar retraction.

The mechanism of retraction of the longitudinal flagellum of Ceratium tripos was studied by making extracted models of the flagellum. Non-detergent models extracted in low ionic strength medium containing 1 M-glucose, 10 mM-EDTA, and 50 mM-Tris X HCl buffer (pH 8.0), retracted when Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, Sr2+, Mn2+ or Cd2+ was applied locally with a glass capillary. A demembranated model of the flagellum was made with an extraction medium containing 0.8-1.0 M-glucose, 20 mM-Tris-acetate (pH 7.8), 2 mM-EGTA, 5-7 mM-MgSO4, 0.1 M-potassium glutamate and 0.1% Triton X-100. The model required a concentration of Mg2+ of a few mmol/l for successful reactivation of both retraction and undulation, and about 0.1 M-potassium glutamate (or sodium glutamate) for reactivation of undulation. Neither type of motion of the models could be reactivated above 35 degrees C. Ca2+ induced the retraction at pCa 5.5 or less. In addition to Ca2+, Mn2+, Ba2+, Sr2+ and Cd2+ also induced retraction but Mg2+, La3+ or Tb3+ did not. Although ATP was required for undulation, it was not required for retraction. Co-incubation with hexokinase to remove contaminating ATP did not suppress the retraction. The potent ATPase inhibitor, orthovanadate, inhibited undulation at 10 micron but did not inhibit retraction even at 2 mM. SH blockers, N-ethylmaleimide and dithio-bis-nitrobenzoic acid strongly suppressed undulation but had no effect on retraction. Calmodulin inhibitors, trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine, also had no effect on retraction. These data indicate that undulation is generated by a 9 + 2 microtubular axoneme using energy released by hydrolysis of ATP and that retraction can be induced by Ca2+ without a requirement for ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Piscinoodinium pillulare (Schäperclaus, 1954) Lom, 1981 (Dinoflagellida) infection in cultivated freshwater fish from the northeast region of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Parasitological and pathological aspects.

The Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, received fishes for diagnosis from fish farmers reporting fish crowding at pond edges and in water inlets. Fifty-three out of 194 cases showed round to oval, immobile whitish structures, measuring up to 162 microm diameter, identified as the dinoflagellate Piscinoodinium pillulare. In 34 diagnosed cases the parasites were present in the gills, in 2 on body surface, and 9 in both. Thirty-one out of 53 were tambacu hybrids hosts; 7, Piaractus mesopotamicus; 6, Colossoma macropomum; 5, Leporinus macrocephalus; 3, Oreochromis niloticus; and 1, Prochilodus lineatus. Fish showed increased mucous production on body surface and gills, while ecchymosis in the caudal peduncle and operculum was present. The gills also showed paleness, congestion, and petechiae. Histopathology presented a great number of trophonts situated between secondary lamellae, fixed to or detached from the epithelium. Primary lamellae presented interstitial hemorrhages, severe hyperplasia of the epithelium, goblet cells, and mononuclear infiltrates. The present work is the first report of P pillulare in Brazil and emphasizes the importance of this dinoflagellate which caused significant economic losses from 1995 through 1997.

Animals↗

Massive infestation by Amyloodinium ocellatum (Dinoflagellida) of fish in a highly saline lake, Salton Sea, California, USA.

Persistent fish infestation by the parasitic dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum was found at a highly saline lake, Salton Sea, California, USA. The seasonal dynamics of the infestation of young tilapia was traced in 1997-1998. First appearing in May, it became maximal in June-August, decreased in October and was not detectable in November. Outbreak of the infestation and subsequent mortality of young fish was registered at the Sea at a water temperature and salinity of 40 degrees C and 46 ppt, respectively. Some aspects of the ultrastructure of parasitic trophonts of A. ocellatum and their location on the fish from different size groups are considered. The interactions of parasitological and environmental factors and their combined effect upon fish from the Salton Sea are discussed.

Animals↗

Phylogeny of the Haplosporidia (Eukaryota: Alveolata) based on small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence.

The phylogenetic position of the phylum Haplosporidia was investigated with the complete small subunit rRNA gene sequences from 5 species in the phylum: Haplosporidium nelsoni and Haplosporidium costale, parasites of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica; Haplosporidium louisiana, a parasite of the mudcrab Panopeus herbstii; Minchinia teredinis, a parasite of shipworms (Teredo spp.) and Urosporidium crescens, a hyperparasite found in metacercariae of the trematode Megalophallus sp. in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Multiple alignments of small subunit rRNA gene sequences included the 5 haplosporidian taxa and 14 taxa in the alveolate phyla Ciliophora, Dinoflagellida, and Apicomplexa. Maximum parsimony analysis placed the phylum Haplosporidia as a monophyletic group within the alveolate clade, as a taxon of equal rank with the other 3 alveolate phyla, and as a sister taxon to the clade composed of the phyla Dinoflagellida and Apicomplexa. Transversionally weighted parsimony placed the haplosporidians as a sister taxon to the ciliates. A separate analysis focused on the relationships of species in the genus Haplosporidium. Analyses were conducted with the haplosporidians as a functional ingroup, using each of the alveolate phyla individually as functional outgroups. The results indicated that species in the genus Haplosporidium do not form a monophyletic assemblage. As such, the present morphological criteria for distinguishing the genera Haplosporidium and Minchinia are insufficient.

Animals↗

'Total evidence' refutes the inclusion of Perkinsus species in the phylum Apicomplexa.

The phylogenetic affinities of the oyster pathogen Perkinsus marinus were investigated with morphology, 18S-like rDNA data and actin sequence data. Morphological investigations revealed that Perkinsus species do not have a conoid and that other criteria which have been used to place them in the Apicomplexa are general to alveolates. When considered separately, 18S-like rDNA and actin data sets each support a closer affinity for Perkinsus marinus with the dinoflagellates. However, each of these separate analyses possess their own biases and weaknesses. Use of the phylogenetic principle of 'total evidence' in which data sets are combined in simultaneous analysis yielded a more robust hypothesis that is stable both to character and taxonomic sampling. The resulting cladogram strongly corroborates the placement of Perkinsus species with the Dinoflagellida and not with the Apicomplexa.

Actins↗

A comparison of Radial Basis Function and backpropagation neural networks for identification of marine phytoplankton from multivariate flow cytometry data.

Two artificial neural network classifiers, the well-known Multi-layer Perception (MLP) (also known as the 'backpropagation network'), and the more recently developed Radial Basis Function (RBF) network, were evaluated and compared for their ability to identify multivariate flow cytometric data from five North Sea plankton groups (Dinoflagellidae, Bacillariophyceae, Prymnesiomonadida, Cryptomonadida, and other flagellates). RBF networks generally performed similarly to MLPs, and slightly better in cases where the data were markedly multimodal; RBF networks also have much shorter training times. The performance of MLPs was improved greatly by the use of a symmetrical bipolar 'transfer function' as opposed to the commonly-used asymmetric form. The issues of network optimisation and computational efficiency in use are discussed.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

A simple procedure for sulfation and 35S radiolabelling of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) gonyautoxins.

A method is described to sulfate PSP toxins at various positions in the molecule and to prepare 35S labelled compounds using H2(35)SO4 in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC). The 11-sulfates of saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin, known as gonyautoxins, are often the most abundant of the PSP toxins in algae and contaminated shellfish. Receptor site binding and antibody assays based on these analogues should, therefore, better reflect toxicity than those in which saxitoxin is used. Although the specific activity of 35S-gonyautoxins is lower than that of commercially available 3H-saxitoxin, the label is strongly bound and is not lost through proton exchange with water as occurs with tritiated saxitoxin. The labelling procedure is rapid, inexpensive and can be done on a small scale. Sulfate can be removed from the 11-position of GTX's in methanolic-HCl and from the 21-position by mild acid hydrolysis and H2(35)SO4 added in 5-10-fold excess. Addition or exchange occurs rapidly on mixing DCC in dimethylformamide with dry toxin and sulfate. Reaction conditions were optimized and reaction products identified by capillary electrophoresis, autoradiography and ionspray mass spectrometry. Together with methods for selective removal of sulfate, the sulfation reaction provides an additional way to prepare some of the naturally occurring derivatives of saxitoxin, many of which are sulfates.

Animals↗

Preparation of single-celled marine dinoflagellates for electron microscopy.

Electron microscopy has been used successfully to study and identify single-celled marine dinoflagellates including parasitic ones and others, such as those that cause red tide. Delicate cells can be preserved for scanning electron microscopy with a combined glutaraldehydeosmium tetroxide mixture that is adjusted for the osmolality of the medium. The protocol allows resolution of fine morphological features. Preservation for transmission electron microscopy can be accomplished with a standard glutaraldehyde fixation and osmium-tetroxide post-fixation in a suitable buffer, but again, the osmolality of the mixture must be adjusted. The protocol allows ultrastructural resolution of vesiculated cells and has been modified for small sample sizes.

Animals↗

Spray-freezing freeze substitution (SFFS) of cell suspensions for improved preservation of ultrastructure.

Some unicellular organisms present challenges to chemical fixations that lead to common, yet obvious, artifacts. These can be avoided in entirety by adapting spray-freezing technology to ultrarapidly freeze specimens for freeze substitution. To freeze specimens, concentrated suspensions of cells ranging in diameter from 0.5-30 pm were sprayed with an airbrush at 140-200 kPa (1.05-1.5 torr; 20.3-29.0 psi) into a nylon mesh transfer basket submerged in liquid propane. After freezing, the mesh basket containing the frozen sample was lifted out of the chamber, drained and transferred through several anhydrous acetone rinses at 188 K (-85 degrees C). Freeze substitution was conducted in 1% tannic acid/1% anhydrous glutaraldehyde in acetone at 188 K (-85 degrees C), followed by 1% OsO4/acetone at 277 K (4 degrees C). Freeze substitution was facilitated using a shaking table to provide gentle mixing of the substitution medium on dry ice. High quality freezing was observed in 70% of spray-frozen dinoflagellate cells and in 95% of spray-frozen cyanobacterial cells. These could be infiltrated and observed directly; however, overall ultrastructural appearance and membrane contrast were improved when the freeze-substituted cells were rehydrated and post-fixed in aqueous OSO4, then dehydrated and embedded in either Spurr's or Epon resin. Ultrastructural preservation using this ultrarapid freezing method provided specimens that were consistently superior to those obtainable in even the best comparable chemical fixations.

Animals↗

Toxicity of fatty acid 18:5n3 from Gymnodinium cf. mikimotoi: II. Intracellular pH and K+ uptake in isolated trout hepatocytes.

Effects of octadecapentaenoic acid 18:5n3 and other related polyunsaturated fatty acids present in gymnodinium cf. mikimotoi were tested in isolated trout hepatocytes. These exotoxins decreased intracellular pH followed by a slow recovery to initial value and alkalinization of acidic compartments, suggesting an inhibition of vacuolar H(+)-ATPases. Moreover, addition of 18:5n3 to the extracellular medium induced a decrease of K+ uptake into hepatocytes as a result of Na,K-ATPase inhibition. However, high concentrations (10(-5)-10(-3) M) are necessary to induce these effects.

Acridine Orange↗

Toxicity of fatty acid 18:5n3 from Gymnodinium cf. mikimotoi: I. Morphological and biochemical aspects on Dicentrarchus labrax gills and intestine.

We present evidence for the toxic effects of fatty acid 18:5n3 (octadecapentaenoic acid) in the gills and intestine of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. Light microscopic observation of gills showed strong mucus production and alteration of ionocytes. The Mg- and Na,K-ATPase activities were inhibited, with IC50 values of 10(-3) and 1.6 x 10(-4) M, respectively. Results are discussed in relation to osmoregulation.

Animals↗

Confirmation of yessotoxin and 45,46,47-trinoryessotoxin production by Protoceratium reticulatum collected in Japan.

Two different strains of the dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum collected at Harima Nada and Yamada Bay in Japan were cultured and analyzed by fluorometric HPLC for yessotoxin production. Only the Yamada Bay strain produced yessotoxin. The toxin together with its analog, 45,46,47-trinoryessotoxin, were isolated from larger scale culture and unambiguously confirmed by (1)H NMR and MS measurements. This is the first confirmation of the biogenetic origin of yessotoxin in Japan, where the toxin was first reported. The results also indicate that the production of yessotoxins by P. reticulatum differs from strain to strain, in a similar way to that observed in many other toxigenic dinoflagellates such as Dinophysis spp. and Alexandrium spp.

Animals↗

Monitoring brevetoxins during a Gymnodinium breve red tide: comparison of sodium channel specific cytotoxicity assay and mouse bioassay for determination of neurotoxic shellfish toxins in shellfish extracts.

In October of 1996, a Gymnodinium breve bloom occurred in shellfish harvesting waters of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, USA. Bloom densities reached 5.6x10(5) cells liter(-1) and bloom residence at shellfish sampling stations ranged from 3 to 28 days. Brevetoxin-2 dominated G. breve toxin profiles in bloom seawater extracts. Shellfish toxicity, assessed by mouse bioassay, exceeded the guidance level for up to 75 days after the bloom had dissipated. Cytotoxicity assays and mouse bioassays showed similar temporal patterns of shellfish toxicity, but the two methods differed in estimations of brevetoxin-3 equivalent toxicity by a factor of 93 to 1. LC-ESI-MS showed the temporal patterns in shellfish toxicity reflected metabolism of G. breve toxins. The molecular ions m/z 1004, 1017 and 1033 dominated LC-ESI-MS spectra of toxic chromatographic fractions from the extracts and were identified as brevetoxin metabolites on the basis of LC-APCI-MS-MS. The discrepancy between cytotoxicity and mouse bioassay estimates of brevetoxin-3 equivalent toxicity resulted from the difference in extraction efficiency of solvents used in the respective methods and the relative sensitivity of the assays to toxin metabolite mixtures present in the extracts. The normalized cytotoxicity assay showed 75% agreement with mouse bioassay positive test samples and 64% agreement with mouse bioassay negative test samples. Published in 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Animals↗

Flow cytometric analysis of chronic and acute toxicity of copper(II) on the marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae.

BACKGROUND: Copper(II) is a heavy metal whose levels have increased in some marine ecosystems to polluting levels. Dinoflagellates, an important phytoplankton group, are at the base of aquatic food chains and bioaccumulation of copper by these microorganisms can result in complex ecosystem alterations, so we investigated how copper disturbs those cells. METHODS: Cytotoxic effects of sublethal and lethal copper concentrations ranging from 4.2 nM (control condition) to 3.13 microM estimated labile copper were studied in batch cultures of Amphidinium carterae. Cell morphology, motility, autofluorescence, and fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-dependent fluorescence generation were evaluated by flow cytometry (FCM) and microscopy. RESULTS: Exposure of A. carterae to toxic levels of copper impaired cell mobility, delayed cell proliferation, led to increased green autofluorescence, and at 3.13 microM labile copper also induced encystment and death. Chlorophyll fluorescence, however, was not affected. Kinetic FCM assay of FDA-dependent fluorescence generation showed a dose-dependent enhancement of fluorescein fluorescence immediately after copper addition and in cultures with sustained exposure to this toxicant. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that copper toxicity occurs quickly at the membrane level in relation to oxidative stress generation. Based on fluorescence kinetic studies, the Na(+)/H(+) antiporter seemed to be affected by copper, thereby affecting intracellular pH.

Animals↗