HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (17) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shick, J. M. Articles by Pearse, V. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shick, J. M. Articles by Pearse, V. B. Related Collections Algae Evolution Physiology Symbiosis Cnidarians

Mycosporine-like Amino Acid Content in Four Species of Sea Anemones in the Genus Anthopleura Reflects Phylogenetic but Not Environmental or Symbiotic Relationships

¹ School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, 5751 Murray Hall, Orono, Maine 04469-5751
² Environmental Biochemistry and Marine Biotechnology, Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No. 3, Townsville MC, Qld. 4810, Australia
³ Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: shick{at}maine.edu

We examine the occurrence of UV-absorbing, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in four sympatric species of sea anemones in the genus Anthopleura, all collected from intertidal habitats on the Pacific Coast of temperate North America. We compare patterns of MAAs in A. elegantissima of several types: specimens having predominately zooxanthellae (dinoflagellates comprising at least two species) or zoochlorellae as symbionts; those containing algal endosymbionts of both kinds, and naturally occurring aposymbiotic specimens that lack the endosymbionts typically found in most specimens. We also compare MAAs in zooxanthellate specimens of A. sola and A. xanthogrammica, and specimens from the asymbiotic species A. artemisia. Our findings indicate that the complements of the four major MAAs in these species of Anthopleura (mycosporine-taurine, shinorine, porphyra-334, and mycosporine-2 glycine) broadly reflect phylogenetic differences among the anemones rather than the taxon of endosymbionts, presence or absence of symbionts, or environmental factors. An exception, however, occurs in A. elegantissima, where mycosporine-2 glycine increases in concentration with the density of zooxanthellae. Our evidence also shows that A. elegantissima can accumulate MAAs from its food, which may explain the occasional occurrence of minor MAAs in some individuals.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Starcevic, S. Akthar, W. C. Dunlap, J. M. Shick, D. Hranueli, J. Cullum, and P. F. Long Enzymes of the shikimic acid pathway encoded in the genome of a basal metazoan, Nematostella vectensis, have microbial origins PNAS, February 19, 2008; 105(7): 2533 - 2537. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Furla, D. Allemand, J. M. Shick, C. Ferrier-Pages, S. Richier, A. Plantivaux, P.-L. Merle, and S. Tambutte The Symbiotic Anthozoan: A Physiological Chimera between Alga and Animal Integr. Comp. Biol., August 1, 2005; 45(4): 595 - 604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Lewis and G. Muller-Parker Phylogenetic Placement of "Zoochlorellae" (Chlorophyta), Algal Symbiont of the Temperate Sea Anemone Anthopleura elegantissima Biol. Bull., October 1, 2004; 207(2): 87 - 92. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]