Alexandrium tamarense
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Classification
Higher order taxa
Domain: Eukaryota
Phylum: Alveolata
Class: Dinophyceae
Order: Gonyaulacales
Family: Gonyaulacaceae
Species
Alexandrium tamarense
Synonyms: Gonyaulax tamarensis Lebour 1925 , G. excavata (Braarud) Balech 1971 Protogonyaulax tamarensis (Lebour) F. J. R. Taylor 1979
Description and significance
Alexandrium tamarense is a single-celled dinoflagellate found primarily in coastal marine environments and is commonly known as the culprit that causes the algal blooms called red tides. It is considered a photoautotroph and contains brown chloroplasts, is 25-46 micrometers in length,
Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated.
Genome structure
Like other dinoflagellates, Alexandrium tamarense consists of large amounts of DNA compared to other eukaryotic organisms. It consists of 144 chromosomes which are condensed in the nucleus until DNA replication. A 6,723 unique (11,171 total) expressed sequence tags (ESTs) have been generated.
It is still not clear which genes play a role in toxin production.
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Cell structure and metabolism
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Ecology
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Pathology
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Application to Biotechnology
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Current Research
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