The Effect of Starvation on Plastid Number and Photosynthetic Performance in the Kleptoplastidic Dinoflagellate Amylax triacantha. (23rd May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, Miran; Kim, Kwang Young; Nam, Seung Won; Shin, Woongghi; Yih, Wonho; Park, Myung Gil
• Is Part Of: Journal of eukaryotic microbiology. Volume 61:Number 4(2014:Jul./Aug.)
• Page Start: 354
• Page End: 363
• Publication Date: 2014-05-23
• Subjects: Protista -- Periodicals; Eukaryotic cells -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12115
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1066-5234

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jeu12115-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The dinoflagellate <italic>Amylax triacantha</italic> is known to retain plastids of cryptophyte origin by engulfing the mixotrophic ciliate <italic>Mesodinium rubrum</italic>, itself a consumer of cryptophytes. However, there is no information on the fate of the prey's organelles and the photosynthetic performance of the newly retained plastids in <italic>A. triacantha</italic>. In this study, we conducted a starvation experiment to observe the intracellular organization of the prey's organelles and temporal changes in the photosynthetic efficiency of acquired plastids in <italic>A. triacantha</italic>. The ultrastructural observations revealed that while the chloroplast‐mitochondria complexes and nucleus of cryptophyte were retained by <italic>A. triacantha</italic>, other ciliate organelles were digested in food vacuoles. Acquired plastids were retained in <italic>A. triacantha</italic> for about 1 mo and showed photosynthetic activities for about 18 d when measured by a pulse‐amplitude modulation fluorometer.</p> </abstract>