Pfiesteria shumwayae
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| Pfiesteria shumwayae | ||||||||||||||
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 Pfiesteria shumwayae SEM micrograph
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| Pfiesteria shumwayae Glasgow & Burkholder |
Pfiesteria shumwayae is a heterotrophic dinoflagellate species in the genus Pfiesteria. It was first characterized in North Carolina in 2000.[1] It can acquire the ability for photosynthesis through eating green algae and retaining their chloroplasts. It can also turn predatory and toxic strains of Pfiesteria shumwayae have been implicated in fish kills around the US east coast. Pfiesteria shumwayae has been described as having a less complex life cycle than Pfiesteria piscicida.[2]
[edit] Toxicity
While toxic strains of Pfiesteria shumwayae have been implicated in fish kills, its ability to secrete an exotoxin to kill its prey has been subject to controversy.[3] A study published in 2002 has shown that it is capable of killing fish by direct contact and feeding on their skin through micropredation.[4] Toxicity levels appear to depend on the strains and assays used in the laboratory.[5] Pfiesteria shumwayae toxin present in filtered water can cause cognitive deficits in rats.[6]
[edit] Occurrence
Pfiesteria has a worldwide distribution and is typically found in estuaries and coastal habitats. It is usually benign unless it "blooms" to a high concentration. High concentrations of Pfiesteria shumwayae have been found in the following locations:
- Taskinas Creek, a tributary of the York River in James City County, Virginia, in March 2005.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ NC State News Release, March 10, 2000: NC State Scientists Confirm Second Toxic Pfiesteria Species. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
- ^ Burkholder JM, Glasgow HB, Deamer-Melia NJ, et al (2001). "Species of the toxic Pfiesteria complex, and the importance of functional type in data interpretation". Environ. Health Perspect. 109 Suppl 5: 667–79. doi:. PMID 11677174.
- ^ Miller TR, Belas R (2003). "Pfiesteria piscicida, P. shumwayae, and other Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates". Res. Microbiol. 154 (2): 85–90. doi:. PMID 12648722.
- ^ Vogelbein WK, Lovko VJ, Shields JD, et al (2002). "Pfiesteria shumwayae kills fish by micropredation not exotoxin secretion". Nature 418 (6901): 967–70. doi:. PMID 12198545.
- ^ Burkholder JM, Gordon AS, Moeller PD, et al (2005). "Demonstration of toxicity to fish and to mammalian cells by Pfiesteria species: comparison of assay methods and strains". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102 (9): 3471–6. doi:. PMID 15728353.
- ^ Duncan PM, Parris B, Schultz S, et al (2005). "Behavioral effects and drug vulnerability in rats exposed to Pfiesteria toxin". Neurotoxicol Teratol 27 (5): 701–10. doi:. PMID 16198085.
- ^ Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Save the Bay: High Concentrations of Pfiesteria Underscore Need to Reduce Pollution. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
