Mendelian Inheritance of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Toxin in the Marine Dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella

Abstract

To analyze the genetic system of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin production in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella, we examined toxin compositions and mating type of F1 progenies from crosses between algal stains having different toxin compositions. In all strains used, the mole percentage of their toxin composition did not significantly change in any growth phase, although total toxin levels increased rapidly in the early to middle exponential growth phase and then decreased by 95% in the stationary phase. One parental strain produced gonyautoxin (GTX) 4, and C4, while the other produced neosaxitoxin (neoSTX) and saxitoxin (STX) during all growth phases. F1 progenies showed one parental toxin composition and segregated independently with the mating type. These data suggest that A. catenella is a toxin producer and that Mendelian inheritance of toxin profiles occurs in the heterothallic dinoflagellate A. catenella.