Towards an Ecological Understanding of Dinoflagellate Cyst Functions

Microorganisms

Isabel Bravo¹ 

[1] Spanish Oceanographic Institute, Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo 36390, Spain; E-Mail:

关键词: cysts;    dinoflagellate life cycle strategy;    dinoflagellate reproduction;    resting cysts;    pellicle cysts;   

DOI  :  10.3390/microorganisms2010011

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The life cycle of many dinoflagellates includes at least one nonflagellated benthic stage (cyst). In the literature, the different types of dinoflagellate cysts are mainly defined based on morphological (number and type of layers in the cell wall) and functional (long- or short-term endurance) differences. These characteristics were initially thought to clearly distinguish pellicle (thin-walled) cysts from resting (double-walled) dinoflagellate cysts. The former were considered short-term (temporal) and the latter long-term (resting) cysts. However, during the last two decades further knowledge has highlighted the great intricacy of dinoflagellate life histories, the ecological significance of cyst stages, and the need to clarify the functional and morphological complexities of the different cyst types. Here we review and, when necessary, redefine the concepts of resting and pellicle cysts, examining both their structural and their functional characteristics in the context of the life cycle strategies of several dinoflagellate species.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.