Alexandrium tamarense

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Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain: Eukaryota Phylum: Alveolata Class: Dinophyceae Order: Gonyaulacales Family: Gonyaulacaceae

Domain; Phylum; Class; Order; family [Others may be used. Use Tree of Life link to find]

Species

Alexandrium tamarense

Synonyms: Gonyaulax tamarensis Lebour 1925 , G. excavata (Braarud) Balech 1971 Protogonyaulax tamarensis (Lebour) F. J. R. Taylor 1979

Description and significance

Alexandrium tamarense is a single-celled dinoflagellate found primarily in coastal marine environments and is commonly known as the culprit that causes the algal blooms called red tides. It is considered a photoautotroph and contains brown chloroplasts, is 25-46 micrometers in length,

Like other dinoflagellate species, A. tamarense propels itself through water using two flagella in a whip-like fashion. It is also considered "armored" because it is surrounded by a layer of cellulose that form plates known as thecae.

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated.

Genome structure

Like other dinoflagellates, Alexandrium tamarense consists of large amounts of DNA compared to other eukaryotic organisms. It consists of 144 chromosomes which are condensed in the nucleus until DNA replication. A 6,723 unique (11,171 total) expressed sequence tags (ESTs) have been generated.

It is still not clear which genes play a role in toxin production.

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Cell structure and metabolism

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Ecology

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Pathology

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Application to Biotechnology

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Current Research

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References

Don Anderson WHOI, Brad Butman USGS, Peter Franks SIO, Rocky Geyer WHOI, Ted Loder UNH, Rich Signell USGS, Bruce Keafer WHOI, Derek Fong WHOI, "Toxic "Red Tide" Populations in the Western Gulf of Maine: Sources, Transport, and Nutrient Environment

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

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