Study on growth, physiology and toxicology of Dinophysis spp. causing diarrheic shellfish poisoning

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We examined characteristics of growth, nutritional physiology and lipophilic toxin production of the genus Dinophysis and effects of environmental conditions on them. Characteristics of cellular toxin contents and toxin composition of natural Dinophysis spp. collected in various Japanese coastal waters were clarified. In laboratory experiments growth of Dinophysis spp. depends on specific prey source, the ciliate Myrionecta rubra, feeding on the Cryptophyceae Teleaulax amphioxeia, and was influenced by temperature and light intensity. Toxin production also varied in response to these environmental factors and growth phase. Parts of toxin components were excreted into surrounding seawater with progress of the growth. Cellular toxin contents were occasionally largely different among local strains of Dinophysis species cultivated under the same conditions, suggesting effects of genetic characteristics on the toxin production.