Two toxigenic Ostreopsis species, O. cf. ovata and O. siamensis (Dinophyceae), from the South China Sea, tropical Western Pacific

Haifeng Gu; Yinuo Wang; Amélie Derrien; Fabienne Hervé; Na Wang; Mitila Pransilpa; Po Teen Lim; Chui Pin Leaw

doi:10.1016/j.hal.2022.102206

Two toxigenic Ostreopsis species, O. cf. ovata and O. siamensis (Dinophyceae), from the South China Sea, tropical Western Pacific

Harmful Algae. 2022 Mar:113:102206. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2022.102206. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Authors

Haifeng Gu¹, Yinuo Wang², Amélie Derrien³, Fabienne Hervé⁴, Na Wang⁵, Mitila Pransilpa⁶, Po Teen Lim⁷, Chui Pin Leaw⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China. Electronic address: guhaifeng@tio.org.cn.
² School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China.
³ Ifremer, LER BO, Station de Biologie Marine, Place de la Croix, BP40537, F-29185 Concarneau CEDEX, France.
⁴ Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), DYNECO, laboratoire Phycotoxines, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, F-44311 Nantes Cedex 03, , France.
⁵ Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China.
⁶ Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, East Gulf of Thailand, Rayong, Thailand.
⁷ Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, 16310 Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia.
⁸ Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, 16310 Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia. Electronic address: cpleaw@um.edu.my.

PMID: 35287930
DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2022.102206

Abstract

In the dinophyte genus Ostreopsis, seven out of 11 described species are known to produce various toxic compounds that were characterized in the palytoxins family. Species in the genus shared identical thecal plate patterns but differed in size, shape, and thecal plate ornamentation. Two species, O. cf. ovata and O. siamensis, have been reported from the Western Pacific, but information on toxin production is scarce. Here, we established nine strains of Ostreopsis from six localities in the South China Sea (SCS), covering the Gulf of Thailand, northern SCS (Hainan Island, Beibu Bay), and southern SCS (Peninsular Malaysia). Their morphology was examined by light and electron microscopy and the molecular phylogeny was inferred based on the LSU rDNA (D1-D3) and ITS rDNA sequences using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Both O. cf. ovata and O. siamensis, albeit morphologically closely related, can be distinguished by a feature of the thecal pores with pronounced ridges in the latter. Molecular data further supported their species identity. Toxin production in the strains was examined by LC-MS/MS. O. cf. ovata strain T5PRBost02 was observed to produce Ovatoxin-k and Ovatoxin-j2 only; while Ostreocin-B and Ostreocin-D was produced by O. siamensis strain T10PRBost04. This is the first report confirming the production of palytoxins analogs in Ostreopsis species from the region.

Keywords: BHAB; Dinoflagellates; Genetics; Morphology; Ostreocin; Ostreopsis; Ovatoxins.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bayes Theorem
Chromatography, Liquid
DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
Dinoflagellida* / genetics
Tandem Mass Spectrometry*

Substances

DNA, Ribosomal