BIOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM SPECIES ALEXANDRIUM MINUTUM (DINOPHYCEAE) BASED ON rRNA GENE SEQUENCES AND MICROSATELLITE MARKERS(1).

ABSTRACT: The toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum Halim is one of three species that comprise the "minutum" species complex. This complex is notable due to its role in the etiology of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Recent increases in PSP incidence and the geographic expansion of toxin-producing Alexandrium dinoflagellates have prompted the intensive examination of genetic relationships among globally distributed strains to address questions regarding their present distribution and reasons for their apparent increase. The biogeography of A. minutum was studied using large subunit ribosomal DNA gene (LSU rRNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and genotypic data from 12 microsatellite loci. rRNA gene and ITS sequencing data distinguished between two clades, herein termed the

SUBMITTER: McCauley LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5488690 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature