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Differences in the chemical composition of organic-walled dinoflagellate resting cysts from phototrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates

Differences in the chemical composition of organic-walled dinoflagellate resting cysts from phototrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates
Differences in the chemical composition of organic-walled dinoflagellate resting cysts from phototrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates
Dinoflagellates constitute a large proportion of the planktonic biomass from marine to freshwater environments. Some species produce a preservable organic-walled resting cyst (dinocyst) during the sexual phase of their life cycle that is an important link between the organisms, the environment in which their parent motile theca grew, and the sedimentary record. Despite their abundance and widespread usage as proxy indicators for environmental conditions, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the dinocyst wall chemical composition. It is likely that numerous factors, including phylogeny and life strategy, determine the cyst wall chemistry. However, the extent to which this composition varies based on inherent (phylogenetic) or variable (ecological) factors has not been studied. To address this, we used micro-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze nine cyst species produced by either phototrophic or heterotrophic dinoflagellates from the extant orders Gonyaulacales, Gymnodiniales and Peridiniales. Based on the presence of characteristic functional groups, two significantly different cyst wall compositions are observed that correspond to the dinoflagellate's nutritional strategy. The dinocyst wall compositions analyzed appeared carbohydrate-based, but the cyst wall produced by phototrophic dinoflagellates suggested a cellulose-like glucan, while heterotrophic forms produced a nitrogen-rich glycan. This constitutes the first empirical evidence nutritional strategy is related to different dinocyst wall chemistries. Our results indicated phylogeny was less important for predicting composition than the nutritional strategy of the dinoflagellate, suggesting potential for cyst wall chemistry to infer past nutritional strategies of extinct taxa preserved in the sedimentary record.
dinoflagellate cyst, dinosporin, heterotrophic, infrared spectroscopy, macromolecule, nutritional strategy, phototrophic
1529-8817
254-266
Bogus, Kara
5f071962-dae7-4883-8167-3a4f78b99d79
Mertens, Kenneth Neil
5cfdc474-5e81-46a9-8d35-d7501f7a7cba
Lauwaert, Johan
1b95a9ef-eea6-4443-8dfb-b5ef0141df48
Harding, Ian C.
5d63b829-a9a7-447f-aa3f-62e8d0e715cb
Vrielinck, Henk
1755d934-78aa-4cbd-8886-5dc0322bc3b8
Zonneveld, Karin A.F.
3fbc6d7b-2709-4d93-832b-ceb6e4708019
Versteegh, Gerard J.M.
10ff39cd-6cc1-42a3-be31-1060a3a2ad93
Bogus, Kara
5f071962-dae7-4883-8167-3a4f78b99d79
Mertens, Kenneth Neil
5cfdc474-5e81-46a9-8d35-d7501f7a7cba
Lauwaert, Johan
1b95a9ef-eea6-4443-8dfb-b5ef0141df48
Harding, Ian C.
5d63b829-a9a7-447f-aa3f-62e8d0e715cb
Vrielinck, Henk
1755d934-78aa-4cbd-8886-5dc0322bc3b8
Zonneveld, Karin A.F.
3fbc6d7b-2709-4d93-832b-ceb6e4708019
Versteegh, Gerard J.M.
10ff39cd-6cc1-42a3-be31-1060a3a2ad93

Bogus, Kara, Mertens, Kenneth Neil, Lauwaert, Johan, Harding, Ian C., Vrielinck, Henk, Zonneveld, Karin A.F. and Versteegh, Gerard J.M. (2014) Differences in the chemical composition of organic-walled dinoflagellate resting cysts from phototrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates. Journal of Phycology, 50 (2), 254-266. (doi:10.1111/jpy.12170).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Dinoflagellates constitute a large proportion of the planktonic biomass from marine to freshwater environments. Some species produce a preservable organic-walled resting cyst (dinocyst) during the sexual phase of their life cycle that is an important link between the organisms, the environment in which their parent motile theca grew, and the sedimentary record. Despite their abundance and widespread usage as proxy indicators for environmental conditions, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the dinocyst wall chemical composition. It is likely that numerous factors, including phylogeny and life strategy, determine the cyst wall chemistry. However, the extent to which this composition varies based on inherent (phylogenetic) or variable (ecological) factors has not been studied. To address this, we used micro-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze nine cyst species produced by either phototrophic or heterotrophic dinoflagellates from the extant orders Gonyaulacales, Gymnodiniales and Peridiniales. Based on the presence of characteristic functional groups, two significantly different cyst wall compositions are observed that correspond to the dinoflagellate's nutritional strategy. The dinocyst wall compositions analyzed appeared carbohydrate-based, but the cyst wall produced by phototrophic dinoflagellates suggested a cellulose-like glucan, while heterotrophic forms produced a nitrogen-rich glycan. This constitutes the first empirical evidence nutritional strategy is related to different dinocyst wall chemistries. Our results indicated phylogeny was less important for predicting composition than the nutritional strategy of the dinoflagellate, suggesting potential for cyst wall chemistry to infer past nutritional strategies of extinct taxa preserved in the sedimentary record.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 15 March 2014
Published date: April 2014
Keywords: dinoflagellate cyst, dinosporin, heterotrophic, infrared spectroscopy, macromolecule, nutritional strategy, phototrophic
Organisations: Paleooceanography & Palaeoclimate

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 362295
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/362295
ISSN: 1529-8817
PURE UUID: ff0024b8-a7b0-4067-8744-8b6c4db8fec7
ORCID for Ian C. Harding: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4281-0581

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Date deposited: 19 Feb 2014 14:06
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:40

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Contributors

Author: Kara Bogus
Author: Kenneth Neil Mertens
Author: Johan Lauwaert
Author: Ian C. Harding ORCID iD
Author: Henk Vrielinck
Author: Karin A.F. Zonneveld
Author: Gerard J.M. Versteegh

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