鳍藻是重要的有毒赤潮原因种，产生的腹泻性贝类毒素是引起腹泻症状和致癌效应的主要毒素。世界广泛分布的鳍藻，其产生毒素的能力在不同海域差异较大，鳍藻产毒的调控机制尚未完全清楚。申请人前期的研究结果表明，环境温度、光照以及水体中的溶解态无机营养元素对鳍藻产毒没有显著影响。在此基础上，本课题以鳍藻的食物来源为切入点，拟通过构建鳍藻-红色中缢虫-隐藻的三级食物链培养体系，对鳍藻进行多途径食物链培养，采用分子标记和LC-MS/MS技术，研究同一株鳍藻在不同食物链培养下，以及不同株系鳍藻在相同食物链培养下的质粒类型和产毒特征差异，分析食物的种类、食物的主要营养成分对鳍藻生长和产毒的影响，了解食物细胞内质粒类型与鳍藻产毒是否存在必然联系。该研究旨在揭示影响鳍藻产生腹泻性贝类毒素的关键控制因素，为鳍藻毒素的生物合成机理及该藻赤潮的防灾减灾管理提供科学依据。

From the public health perspective, Dinophysis species are responsible for the vast majority of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) cases. The DSP toxins are inhibitors of serine/threonine protein phosphatases and, when ingested by humans, cause rapid onset of gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea) lasting several days. Toxicity in Dinophysis species widely varied between or within regions on a global basis. Many aspects of Dinophysis physiology, toxicity, and genetics have remained intractable. The previous research showed that the temperature, light intensity and dissolved inorganic nutrient had no effect on Dinophysis toxin production. Therefore, the major objective of this proposal is to explore the role of prey (prey type, plastids type and nutritional level) in Dinophysis growth and toxin production. The proposed work will rely on proven experimental system and methods - cultures of Dinophysis (a unique three-stage food chain, cryptophyte -Myrionecta rubra -Dinophysis), established grazing and growth experimental protocols (Dinophysis isolates are fed with an array of ciliates and cryptophytes), molecular approach (species and plastid type identification) and sophisticated toxin chemistry using LC-MS/MS. Progress attained will benefit understanding the toxigenic mechanisms of Dinophysis and predictive capabilities of Dinophysis related shellfish infestations.