Algae Amphidinium

Results of investigations on the biosynthesis of neoxanthin (30) and peridinin (6) from 3H- and I4C-labeled mevanolate by the alga Amphidinium carterae are not in accordance with the formation of the exocyclic allene from an alkyne I. E. Swift, B. V. Milborrow, Biochem.J. 1981, 299, 69-74. 

Increased synthesis of MAAs by exposure to high intensity artificial visible light also occurs in the Antarctic diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, the prasinophyte Pyramimonas parkae, and most markedly in the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae (six-fold increase over control).171 However, high visible light exposure does not affect the MAA content of two other unicellular algae, Dunaliella tertiolecta (Chlorophyta) and Isochrysis sp. (Haptophyta). Supplemental exposures with UVA and UVB in combination and alone result in a variety of species-specific responses. 

Amphidinium carterae also shows precisely where the carotenoid peridinin is located in this antenna complex (Hofmann et al., 1996 Fig. 11). Kiihlbrandt et al. (1994) have provided the atomic level structure of LHCllb, the major light harvesting Chi a/Chl b complex of plants and green algae this has allowed the rationalization of the proposed mechanisms of excitation energy transfer among the Chls. 

Echigoya, R. et al.. The structures of five new antifungal and hemolytic amphidinol analogs from Amphidinium carterae collected in New Zealand, Harmful Algae 4, 383, 2005. 

Carlucci and Bowes [29] showed that vitamin production in phytoplankton algae was attributed to release during exponential growth and upon cell death and lysis in old cultures. Vitamin utilization was readily observed in cultures of two species S. costatum produced utilizable biotin for Amphidinium carterae. The amount of utilizable vitamin and the rate at which it was exuded depended on the algal species and conditions of culturing. Aaronson et al. [149] showed that when O. danicus (chrysophyceae) was grown on a defined medium the cells excreted a number of vitamins including riboflavin, vitamin E and nicotinic acid in addition to four amino acids. Swift [150] published an excellent review of phytoplankton production, excretion and utihzation of vitamins. 

---