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Copepod population-specific response to a toxic diatom diet
Lauritano, C.; Carotenuto, Y.; Miralto, A.; Procaccini, G.; Ianora, A. (2012). Copepod population-specific response to a toxic diatom diet. PLoS One 7(10): e47262. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0047262
In: PLoS One. Public Library of Science: San Francisco. ISSN 1932-6203; e-ISSN 1932-6203, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Marine Sciences
    Marine Sciences > Marine Sciences General
    Scientific Community
    Scientific Publication
    Marine/Coastal

Project Top | Authors 
  • Association of European marine biological laboratories, more

Authors  Top 
  • Lauritano, C.
  • Carotenuto, Y.
  • Miralto, A.
  • Procaccini, G.
  • Ianora, A.

Abstract
    Diatoms are key phytoplankton organisms and one of the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. However, many diatom species produce a series of secondary metabolites, collectively termed oxylipins, that disrupt development in the offspring of grazers, such as copepods, that feed on these unicellular algae. We hypothesized that different populations of copepods may deal differently with the same oxylipin-producing diatom diet. Here we provide comparative studies of expression level analyses of selected genes of interest for three Calanus helgolandicus populations (North Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea) exposed to the same strain of the oxylipin-producing diatom Skeletonema marinoi using as control algae the flagellate Rhodomonas baltica. Expression levels of detoxification enzymes and stress proteins (e.g. glutathione S-transferase, glutathione synthase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, aldehyde dehydrogenases and heat shock proteins) and proteins involved in apoptosis regulation and cell cycle progression were analyzed in copepods after both 24 and 48 hours of feeding on the diatom or on a control diet. Strong differences occurred among copepod populations, with the Mediterranean population of C. helgolandicus being more susceptible to the toxic diet compared to the others. This study opens new perspectives for understanding copepod population-specific responses to diatom toxins and may help in underpinning the cellular mechanisms underlying copepod toxicity during diatom blooms.

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