First Report of the Epiphytic Dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus caribaeus in the Temperate Waters off Jeju Island, Korea: Morphology and Molecular Characterization

• Published in: The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology Vol. 59; no. 6; pp. 637 - 650
• Main Authors: Jeong, Hae Jin, Lim, An Suk, Jang, Se Hyeon, Yih, Won Ho, Kang, Nam Seon, Lee, Sung Yeon, Yoo, Yeong Du, Kim, Hyung Seop
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-2012; Wiley
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; CFP; Ciguatera; Cluster Analysis; Dinoflagellida - classification; Dinoflagellida - cytology; Dinoflagellida - genetics; Dinoflagellida - isolation & purification; DNA, Protozoan - chemistry; DNA, Protozoan - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gambierdiscus; Genes, rRNA; HAB; Islands; Korea; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; LSU; Microscopy; Molecular Sequence Data; Pacific Ocean; Phylogeny; protist; Protozoa; RNA, Protozoan - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - genetics; Seawater - parasitology; Sequence Analysis, DNA; SSU; toxic; Asia; Korea; Pacific Ocean; ASW, Mexico Gulf; ASW, Belize; ASW, Caribbean Sea; INW, Korea, Rep; IN, North Pacific; INW, Japan; Protozoa; toxic; Toxicity; Epiphyte; HAB; First record; CFP; Island; LSU; Characterization; Dinozoa; SSU; Morphology; Ciguatera; protist; Temperate climate; Cambierdiscus
• ISSN: 1066-5234; 1550-7408
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00645.x

Gambierdiscus spp. are epiphytic, benthic dinoflagellates. Some species have been shown to be toxic and cause ciguatera fish poisoning. We report, for the first time, the occurrence of Gambierdiscus caribaeus isolated from the waters off Jeju Island in Korea. Its morphology was similar to that of the original Belize strains of G. caribaeus. Gambierdiscus caribaeus has been reported in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Floridian coast. Our report extends its range to the North Pacific Ocean. The plates of the Korean strain were arranged in a Kofoidian series of Po, 3′, 7′′, 6c, 6s, 5′′′, 1p, and 2′′′′, morphologically closer to other strains of G. caribaeus than to G. carpenteri. When properly aligned, its small subunit (SSU) rDNA was 0.5% different from those of Gambierdiscus sp. C‐1, a strain that was isolated from the waters off eastern Japan, but was 2.4–4.0% different from those of the NOAA strains of G. caribaeus and 3.1–3.4% different from those of the NOAA strains of G. carpenteri. Additionally, the D1–D3 large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequence of the Korean strain of G. caribaeus was 4.7–5.3% different from those of the NOAA strains of G. caribaeus and 7.1–7.5% different from those of all reported G. carpenteri strains, including the NOAA strains. In phylogenetic trees based on SSU and LSU rDNA sequences, our Korean strain was basal to the clade consisting of the NOAA strains of G. caribaeus, which in turn was sister clade to all reported G. carpenteri strains.