Phosphorus deficiency induces sexual reproduction in the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum cordatum.

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential elements whose availability promotes successful growth of phytoplankton and governs aquatic primary productivity. In this study, we investigated the effect of N and/or P deficiency on the sexual reproduction of Prorocentrum cordatum, the dinoflagellate with the haplontic life cycle which causes harmful algal blooms worldwide. In P. cordatum cultures, N and the combined N and P deficiency led to the arrest of the cell cycle in the G₀/G₁ phases and attenuation of cell culture growth. We observed, that P, but not N deficiency triggered the transition in the life cycle of P. cordatum from vegetative to the sexual stage. This resulted in a sharp increase in percentage of cells with relative nuclear DNA content 2C (zygotes) and

SUBMITTER: Kalinina V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10468533 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature