Genus

Dinomyces

Species

arenysensis

Author

Karpovand Guillou, Protist, 165: 241 (2014)

Class

Chytridiomycetes

Order

Rhizophydiales

Family

Dinomycetaceae

Synonymy:

Description

Parasitoid of dinophytes, with some preference for Alexandrium species. Mature inoperculate epibiotic sporangium spherical to pear-shaped 18-20 μm in diameter without papillae. Zoospores slightly elongated 2-4 μm long with single lipid globule. Zoospores released by sporangium break. (Description based on Lepelletiera et al. (2014)).

Key references:

Anderson DM, Alpermann TJ, Cembella AD, Collos Y,Masseret E, Montresor M (2012) The globally distributed genus Alexandrium: multifaceted roles in marine ecosystems and impacts on human health. Harmful Algae 14:10–35.

Lepelletiera F, Karpovc SA, Alacide E, Le Pansef S, Bigeard E, Garcése E, Jeanthona C, Guilloua L (2014) Dinomyces arenysensis gen. et sp. nov. (Rhizophydiales, Dinomycetaceae fam. nov.), a chytrid infecting marine dinoflagellates. Protist 165: 230–244.

Type & Location:

Other Specimens:

Substratum:

parasitic on the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum samples.

Habitat:

Distribution:

Mediterranean Sea, Spain.

Pertinent Literature:

Comments:

NOTES: Dinomyces arenysensis is the first chytrid known to infect a marine dinoflagellate, and was isolated during a bloom of Alexandrium minutum, a widespread toxic marine bloom-forming species (Anderson et al. 2012), in the Mediterranean Sea (Lepelletiera et al. 2014). Phylogenetic analyses showed that it belongs to the order Rhizophydiales, and cannot be included in any of the existing families within this order. Several ultrastructural characters confirmed the placement of this taxon within the Rhizophydiales as well its novelty notably in terms of zoospore ultra-structure. Zoospore has a centriole not parallel to the kinetosome with a bilaminated spur, ribosomal core crossed by endoplasmic reticulum. Lepelletiera et al. (2014) introduced a new family Dinomycetaceae to accommodate this species.

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