Margalefidinium polykrikoides
Classification
Higher Order Taxa
Eukaryota; Sar; Alveolata; Dinophyceae; Gymnodiniales; Gymnodiniaceae
Species
Margalefidinium polykrikoides
Previously known as Cochlodinium polykrikoides.
Description and Significance
M. polykrikoides is a cyst-forming, photosynthetic, and mixotrophic marine dinoflagellate (Lopez-Cortes et al 2019). The genus Cochlodinium was established in the late nineteenth century, and C. polykrikoides was recently reassigned to the genus Margalefidinium (Lopez-Cortes et al 2019). Since they are unicellular eukaryotes, they have a small cell size of 10-100µm and an extremely large genome (Hong et al 2016).
Genome Structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology and Pathogenesis
Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
References
Author
Page authored by Nina McVay, student of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.