The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates

In marine ecosystems, dinoflagellates can become highly abundant and even dominant at times, despite their comparatively slow growth rates. One factor that may play a role in their ecological success is the production of complex secondary metabolite compounds that can have anti-predator, allelopathi...

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Main Authors: Arjun Verma, Abanti Barua, Rendy Ruvindy, Henna Savela, Penelope A. Ajani, Shauna A. Murray
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/8/222
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author Arjun Verma
Abanti Barua
Rendy Ruvindy
Henna Savela
Penelope A. Ajani
Shauna A. Murray
author_facet Arjun Verma
Abanti Barua
Rendy Ruvindy
Henna Savela
Penelope A. Ajani
Shauna A. Murray
author_sort Arjun Verma
collection DOAJ
description In marine ecosystems, dinoflagellates can become highly abundant and even dominant at times, despite their comparatively slow growth rates. One factor that may play a role in their ecological success is the production of complex secondary metabolite compounds that can have anti-predator, allelopathic, or other toxic effects on marine organisms, and also cause seafood poisoning in humans. Our knowledge about the genes involved in toxin biosynthesis in dinoflagellates is currently limited due to the complex genomic features of these organisms. Most recently, the sequencing of dinoflagellate transcriptomes has provided us with valuable insights into the biosynthesis of polyketide and alkaloid-based toxin molecules in dinoflagellate species. This review synthesizes the recent progress that has been made in understanding the evolution, biosynthetic pathways, and gene regulation in dinoflagellates with the aid of transcriptomic and other molecular genetic tools, and provides a pathway for future studies of dinoflagellates in this exciting omics era.
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spelling doaj.art-44b664e61731485bac1c67f893a80f712022-12-22T01:53:02ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072019-07-017822210.3390/microorganisms7080222microorganisms7080222The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in DinoflagellatesArjun Verma0Abanti Barua1Rendy Ruvindy2Henna Savela3Penelope A. Ajani4Shauna A. Murray5Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, AustraliaClimate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, AustraliaClimate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, AustraliaFinnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandClimate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, AustraliaClimate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, AustraliaIn marine ecosystems, dinoflagellates can become highly abundant and even dominant at times, despite their comparatively slow growth rates. One factor that may play a role in their ecological success is the production of complex secondary metabolite compounds that can have anti-predator, allelopathic, or other toxic effects on marine organisms, and also cause seafood poisoning in humans. Our knowledge about the genes involved in toxin biosynthesis in dinoflagellates is currently limited due to the complex genomic features of these organisms. Most recently, the sequencing of dinoflagellate transcriptomes has provided us with valuable insights into the biosynthesis of polyketide and alkaloid-based toxin molecules in dinoflagellate species. This review synthesizes the recent progress that has been made in understanding the evolution, biosynthetic pathways, and gene regulation in dinoflagellates with the aid of transcriptomic and other molecular genetic tools, and provides a pathway for future studies of dinoflagellates in this exciting omics era.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/8/222dinoflagellatestoxinstranscriptomicspolyketidesalkaloids
spellingShingle Arjun Verma
Abanti Barua
Rendy Ruvindy
Henna Savela
Penelope A. Ajani
Shauna A. Murray
The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates
Microorganisms
dinoflagellates
toxins
transcriptomics
polyketides
alkaloids
title The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates
title_full The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates
title_fullStr The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates
title_full_unstemmed The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates
title_short The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates
title_sort genetic basis of toxin biosynthesis in dinoflagellates
topic dinoflagellates
toxins
transcriptomics
polyketides
alkaloids
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/7/8/222
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