Electrophoretic variability within the Protogonyaulax tamarensis/catenella species complex: Pyridine linked dehydrogenases

• Published in: Biochemical systematics and ecology 1986-01, Vol.14 (3), p.311-323
• Main Authors: Cembella, Allan D., Taylor, F.J.R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; algae and seaweeds; Biological and medical sciences; dehydrogenases; dinoflagellates; electrophoresis; enzyme activity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gonyaulacales; isozymes, electrophoresis; linkage dendrogram; Marine; oxidoreductases; Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution; Protogonyaulax species; Protogonyaulax tamarensis; pyridines; taxonomy; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0305-1978; 1873-2925
• DOI: 10.1016/0305-1978(86)90107-9

Extracts from 20 isolates of the Protogonyaulax (= Gonyaulax) tamarensis/catenella species complex from diverse geographical locations, including ten contemporaneous isolates from the same geographical population, were subjected to enzyme electrophoresis. Analysis of isozyme banding patterns produced by eight pyridine-linked dehydrogenases revealed a high degree of genetic polymorphism within and between morphotypes and geographical populations. Since there was little apparent correlation between electromorphs and variants assigned provisionally to the catenelloid or tamarensoid morphotype, and because morphological intermediates exist, the presently used morphological characters used to discriminate unequivocally between P. catenella and P. tamarensis appear to be inadequate. Nevertheless, within a given morphotype, isolates from the same location were more similar than to those from elsewhere. Isozyme electrophoresis offers a means of biochemically discriminating between isolates of this species complex, for which the plate patterns are substantially the same.