title: Composition of heterotrophic flagellates in coastal waters of different trophic status.
abstract: Heterotrophic flagellates (HFs) are important members of the aquatic microbial food web. However, information on their spatial patterns in relation to eutrophication is limited. Here, we examined the composition and spatial distributions of HFs (<3 μm) in subtropical coastal waters of different trophic status by re-analyzing two previously published small subunit rDNA pyrosequence datasets using information from the newly launched Protist Ribosomal Reference database (PR(2)). Whereas the contributions of different major clades composing the Marine Stramenopiles (MASTs), picobiliphytes and Chrysophyceae were found relatively comparable between the stations, contrasting compositions of the Marine Alveolates (MALV) groups I and II were observed. The high and relatively stable contribution of MAST-1, -3 and -7 among the MASTs in both stations suggest their importance as bacterial grazers in coastal waters, irrespective of trophic status. By contrast, the dominance of clades 3, 5 and 14 of MALV II in the eutrophic station implies their importance in regulating the dinoflagellate population at the site. Our study provides insights into the ecological importance of different HF groups in eutrophic coastal ecosystems.
authors: School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. mkcheung@cuhk.edu.hk
authors: Man Kit
authors: MK
authors: Cheung
authors: Wenyan
authors: W
authors: Nong
authors: Hoi Shan
authors: HS
authors: Kwan
authors: Chong Kim
authors: CK
authors: Wong
mesh_terms: D056893:Alveolata / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D058448:Biota; D012623:Seawater / Q000469:parasitology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D058009:Stramenopiles / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
references: Environ Microbiol. 2008 Jun;10(6):1621-34
references: 18341584
references: Mol Biol Evol. 2012 May;29(5):1393-406
references: 22319144
references: FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2011 Mar;35(2):275-98
references: 20738403
references: Science. 2008 Nov 21;322(5905):1254-7
references: 19023082
references: Environ Microbiol. 2008 Dec;10(12):3349-65
references: 18771501
references: ISME J. 2010 Aug;4(8):1053-9
references: 20336159
references: Environ Microbiol. 2009 Feb;11(2):512-25
references: 19196281
references: Environ Microbiol. 2011 Jan;13(1):193-202
references: 20722698
references: ISME J. 2009 May;3(5):588-96
references: 19129862
references: Nat Methods. 2010 May;7(5):335-6
references: 20383131
references: Nucleic Acids Res. 2013 Jan;41(Database issue):D597-604
references: 23193267
references: Protist. 2011 Jul;162(3):435-48
references: 21239227
references: Annu Rev Microbiol. 2011;65:91-110
references: 21639789
references: ISME J. 2012 Oct;6(10):1823-33
references: 22534609
references: Environ Microbiol. 2006 Sep;8(9):1515-22
references: 16913912