title: DISTRIBUTION AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE LUCIFERASE GENE WITHIN MARINE DINOFLAGELLATES(1).
abstract: Dinoflagellates are the most abundant protists that produce bioluminescence. Currently, there is an incomplete knowledge of the identity of bioluminescent species arising from inter- and intraspecific variability in bioluminescence properties. In this study, PCR primers were designed to amplify the dinoflagellate luciferase gene (lcf) from genetically distant bioluminescent species. One of the primer pairs was "universal," whereas others amplified longer gene sequences from subsets of taxa. The primers were used to study the distribution of lcf and assess bioluminescence potential in dinoflagellate strains representing a wide variety of taxa as well as multiple strains of selected species. Strains of normally bioluminescent species always contained lcf even when they were found not to produce light, thus demonstrating the utility of this methodology as a powerful tool for identifying bioluminescent species. Bioluminescence and lcf were confined to the Gonyaulacales, Noctilucales, and Peridiniales. Considerable variation was observed among genera, or even species within some genera, that contained this gene. Partial sequences of lcf were obtained for the genera Ceratocorys, Ceratium, Fragilidium, and Protoperidinium as well as from previously untested species or gene regions of Alexandrium and Gonyaulax. The sequences revealed high variation among gene copies that obscured the boundaries between species or even genera, some of which could be explained by the presence of two genetic variants within the same species of Alexandrium. Highly divergent sequences within Alexandrium and Ceratium show a more diverse composition of lcf than previously known.
authors.affiliation: Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre-Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre-Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building 85, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKUniversidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, 1747-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valiadi
authors.affiliation: Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre-Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre-Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building 85, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKUniversidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, 1747-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre-Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre-Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building 85, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKUniversidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, 1747-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amorim
keywords: PCR; bioluminescence; dinoflagellates; diversity; gene; luciferase; phylogeny