Highlights of Recent Collections of Marine Algae from the Sultanate
ABSTRACTS 1 1 2 PALATABILITY AND CHEMICAL DEFENSES DINOFLAGELLATE GENOMICS: RESULTS OF MACROALGAE IN THE ANTARCTIC FROM AN EST APPROACH PENINSULA Bachvaroff, T. R.1,∗, Herman, E. M.2 & Amsler, C. D.1,∗, Amsler, M. O.1, McClintock, J. B.1, Delwiche, C. F.1 Iken, K. B.1, Hubbard, J. M.1 & Baker, W. J.2 1Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of 1Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Maryland, College Park, MD 20742; 2Soybean Genomic Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170; 2Department Improvement Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville, MD of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 20705, USA 33620, USA Dinoflagellates are enigmatic protists with odd nu- We examined palatability of 37 species of nonen- clear features, interesting plastid gene arrangements crusting macroalgae from the Antarctic Peninsula. and a proclivity for endosymbiotic relationships. Rel- This represents approximately 30% of the entire atively little molecular work has been done on di- antarctic macroalgal flora and 75% of the 49 noflagellates, and only a handful of genes have been nonencrusting species we collected. Organic extracts characterized in these organisms. We have begun an from most species were also prepared and mixed Expressed Sequenced Tag (EST) project with the aim into artificial foods. We examined palatability using of collecting plastid targeted but nuclear encoded feeding bioassays with three common, macroalga- genes from peridinin-containing dinoflagellates. This consuming animals (an omnivorous antarctic rock- provides an opportunity to understand the integra- fish, Notothenia coriiceps; an omnivorous sea star, tion of endosymbiont genes into the host cell. Our se- Odontaster validus; and a herbivorous amphipod, Gon- quencing effort has produced about 1000 unique ESTs dogenia antarctica).
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