Publication Date:
2021-07-01
Description:
Some dinoflagellate species of the genera Azadinium and Amphidoma (Amphidomataceae) produce
azaspiracids (AZA), a group of toxins responsible for gastrointestinal disorders in humans following the consumption
of contaminated shellfish. In this study, we investigated the diversity, distribution and abundance of Azadinium and AZA
from field plankton samples collected during four oceanographic expeditions that covered an extended area of the
Argentine Sea during different seasons. Scanning electron microscopy analyses indicated the presence of five Azadinium
species: Az. dexteroporum, Az. luciferelloides, Az. obesum, Az. asperum and Az. cf. poporum. Azadinium-like cells were
frequently found and were even an abundant component of plankton assemblages, showing a wide latitudinal distribution,
from,38 to,55.58S, and occurring in a wide temperature and salinity range. High cell densities (up to 154 000 cells L
-1) occurred in northern slope and external shelf waters during spring. AZA-2 was detected in net samples from the 20- to
200-mm fractions by tandem mass spectrometry–liquid chromatography analysis, suggesting a transfer of AZA through
the food web. Our results contribute to the knowledge of the worldwide occurrence of Azadinium species and AZA, and
highlight the importance of amphidomatacean species as a potential source of AZA shellfish poisoning in the south-west
Atlantic Ocean.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
Format:
application/pdf
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