Lingulodinium polyedrum

Since the year 2001, the species name Lingulodinium polyedrum (Stein) Dodge 1989 is widely used in place of Gonyaulax polyedra Stein 1883. Considering that many important papers on dinoflagel-late luminescence have been published using the old name, the name Gonyaulax is used in this book. 

Fig. 8.1 Luminescence spectra of luciferin-luciferase reaction of the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra (Lingulodinium polyedrum) in a solution (solid line), isolated scintillons (x), and living Gonyaulax cells (o). From Hastings et al., 1966.

Paz B., Riobo E, Fernandez M.L., Fraga S., and Franco J.M. 2004. Production and relaease of yessotoxins by the dinoflagel-lates Protoceratium retiulatum and Lingulodinium polyedrum in culture. Toxicon 44, 251-258. 

Schultz W, Hastings JW, Liu L. The structure of domain 3 of Lingulodinium polyedrum luciferase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2004 (to be submitted). 

Dinoflagellates pH triggers the flash two functions in one protein. These unicellular marine plankton, which my laboratory has studied for many years, are responsible for the sparkling oceanic luminescence, earlier called phosphorescence. Most of our work has with the photosynthetic species, Lingulodinium polyedrum, (formerly Gonyaulaxpolyedra), which emits brief (0.1s) flashes from small (0.4pm) cell organelles named scintillons.3 30 They contain two major proteins, a luciferase (LCF) and a luciferin binding protein (LBP) the activities of both are pH-dependent. The luciferin is a tetrapyrrole, probably derived from chlorophyll. 

The YTX are a group of bisulfate polyether toxins with a structure similar to brevetoxins (brevetoxin-type polyether), which were isolated from P. yessoensis [46], They are produced by the dinoflageUates Protoceratium reticulatum [47] and by the Lingulodinium polyedrum [48], Their presence in sheUtish was discovered due to their high acute toxicity in mice after i.p. injection of lipophilic extracts. They are much less potent via the oral route, and they do not induce diarrhea. There are no reports of human intoxications caused by YTXs [45],... 

Paz, B. et al.. Production and release of yessotoxins by the dinoflagellates Protoceratium reticulatum and Lingulodinium polyedrum in culture, Toxicon, 44, 251, 2004. 

Protoceratium reticulatum Lingulodinium polyedrum Gonyaulax spinifera [118-120]... 

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