Abstract Since the end of the’90s the occurrence of blooms of the benthic dinoflagellates Ostreopsis spp. is spreading in many tropical and temperate regions worldwide, sometimes causing benthonic biocenosis suffering and occasional human distress. O. ovata has been found to produce palytoxinlike compounds, a class of highly potent toxins. Since these cells are easily resuspended in the water column, the important role of hydrodynamism in the blooms development and decline has been highlighted; moreover, higher abundances of Ostreopsis spp. are usually recorded during warmer periods, characterized by high temperature and salinity and low hydrodinamism. The environmental conditions appear, therefore, to be one of the main factors determining the proliferation on these species, as testified by several field surveys. Laboratory studies on the effect of environmental parameters on growth and toxicity of O. ovata are rather scarce. With regards to the effect of temperature, it appears that different strains blooming along Italian coasts displayed different optima, in accordance to blooming periods, and that higher toxin levels correlated with best growth conditions. The increase in salinity was positively correlated with growth of an Adriatic strain while toxicity was lowest at the highest salinity value (40). Both nitrogen and phosphorus limitation determined a decrease in cell toxicity in contrast to what observed for several different toxic dinoflagellates.
Pistocchi R., Pezzolesi L., Guerrini F., Vanucci S., Dell’Aversano C., E. Fattorusso (2011). A review of the effect of environmental conditions on growth and toxin production of Ostreopsis ovata. TOXICON, 57(3), 421-428 [10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.09.013].
A review of the effect of environmental conditions on growth and toxin production of Ostreopsis ovata.
PISTOCCHI, ROSSELLA;PEZZOLESI, LAURA;GUERRINI, FRANCA;
2011
Abstract
Abstract Since the end of the’90s the occurrence of blooms of the benthic dinoflagellates Ostreopsis spp. is spreading in many tropical and temperate regions worldwide, sometimes causing benthonic biocenosis suffering and occasional human distress. O. ovata has been found to produce palytoxinlike compounds, a class of highly potent toxins. Since these cells are easily resuspended in the water column, the important role of hydrodynamism in the blooms development and decline has been highlighted; moreover, higher abundances of Ostreopsis spp. are usually recorded during warmer periods, characterized by high temperature and salinity and low hydrodinamism. The environmental conditions appear, therefore, to be one of the main factors determining the proliferation on these species, as testified by several field surveys. Laboratory studies on the effect of environmental parameters on growth and toxicity of O. ovata are rather scarce. With regards to the effect of temperature, it appears that different strains blooming along Italian coasts displayed different optima, in accordance to blooming periods, and that higher toxin levels correlated with best growth conditions. The increase in salinity was positively correlated with growth of an Adriatic strain while toxicity was lowest at the highest salinity value (40). Both nitrogen and phosphorus limitation determined a decrease in cell toxicity in contrast to what observed for several different toxic dinoflagellates.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
