Home / Golden-browns / Colonial / Flagellated / Dinobryon
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Name derivation:
Classification:
Dinobryon Ehrenberg, 1834; 34 of 169 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2014). Order Chromulinales; Family Dinobryaceae
Morphology:
Biflagellate heterokont (two differing flagella) cells within a cellulosic lorica of varying length and shape of basal (caudal) spine. Each cell has a prominent stigma (eyespot). The length of the basal (caudal) spine of the lorica is inversely related to water temperature, at least in D. suecicum and D. Borgei (Hilliard 1968).
Similar genera:
Photosynthetic activity:
Dinobryon spp. are planktonic protists that typically form large colonies and are abundant in oligotrophic lakes. Nutrition is by both photosynthesis and phagotrophy (Unrein, 2010). Iron uptake is light dependent; incubation in the dark led to a decrease in iron levels (Carmel, et al., 2014).
Pharmaceuticals:
Dinobryon can be used as a new cellulose powder composition invention that that can be used as a pharmaceutical (Mihranyan and Stromme, 2013).
Habitat:
Freshwater lakes. Compete well in low-phosphorus lakes in ice-free seasons, and eutrophic phosphorus-rich lakes under ice.
References:
Carmel, N., E. Tel-Or, Y. Chen and U. Pick 2014. Iron uptake mechanism in the chrysophyte microalga Dinobryon. Journal of Plant Physiology 171: 993-997. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2014. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 30 May 2014. Hilliard, D.K. 1968. Seasonal variation in some Dinobryon species (Chrysophyceae) from a pond and a lake in Alaska. Oikos 19:28-38. Mihranyan, A. and M. Stromme 2013. Cellulose Gel Formulations Patent. http://www.google.com/patents/US20130012474 Unrein, F., J.M. Gasol and R. Massana 2010. Dinobryon faculiferum (Chrysophyta) in coastal Mediterranean seawater: presence and grazing impact on bacteria. Journal of Plankton Research 32: 559-564.