• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1079-1085
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• 2012

Ground seawater quality was investigated, and the algal growth potential (AGP) tests were performed along the Tongyeong coast to examine the inflow of materials, which is needed for the red tide species Cochlodinium polykrikoides to grow. The study was conducted to determine the mechanism for C. polykrikoidesred tides. Water temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) ranged from 16.05 to $20.74^{\circ}C$, 18.20 to 32.11 psu, 6.00 to 7.61, and 3.41 to 7.91 mg/L (41.4-96.1%), respectively. No seasonal variation was observed in water temperature. The salinity, pH, and DO saturations at most stations were lower than those of coastal seawater at Tongyeong. The ${NH_4}^+$-N, ${NO_{2+3}}^-$-N, ${PO_4}^{3-}$-P concentrations ranged from 0.43 to 16.00 ${\mu}M$, 1.50 to 132.38 ${\mu}M$, and 1.30 to 6.29 ${\mu}M$, respectively; the values at some stations were much higher than observed in Tongyeong coast seawater. Using seawater from station B, C. polykrikoides grew consistently, with a high growth rate, similar to the red tide in nature. This seawater appeared to contain materials needed by C. polykrikoides to grow. Therefore, C. polykrikoides red tides seem to occur wherever the ground sea water contains materials that are needed for its growth.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.373-378
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• 2016

Cochlodinium polykrikoides is a red-tide forming dinoflagellate that causes significant worldwide impacts on aquaculture industries and the marine ecosystem. There have been extensive studies on managing and preventing C. polykrikoides blooms, but it has been difficult to identify an effective method to control the bloom development. There is also limited genome information on the molecular mechanisms involved in its various ecophysiology and metabolism processes. Thus, comprehensive genome information is required to better understand harmful algal blooms caused by C. polykrikoides. We estimated the C. polykrikoides genome size using flow cytometry, with detection of the fluorescence of DNA stained with propidium iodide (PI). The nuclear genome size of C. polykrikoides was 100.97 Gb, as calculated by comparing its mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) to the MFI of Mus musculus, which is 2.8 Gb. The exceptionally large genome size of C. polykrikoides might indicate its complex physiological and metabolic characteristics. Our optimized protocol for estimating the nuclear genome size of a dinoflagellate using flow cytometry with PI can be applied in studies of other marine organisms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.651-657
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• 2003

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to study genetic relationships among C. polykrikoides, G. impudicum and G. catenatum, which possess similar morphological features. Four of 12 primers were selected and 59 amplification products ranged from 0.2 kb to 3.0 kb. The number of polymorphic products in C. polykrikoides, G. impudicum and G. catenatum was 16 (27.1%), 8 (13.5%), and 16 (27.1%), respectively, while 17 were monomorphic. Number of species-specific bounds was 26 (44.0%), 34 (57.6%), 26 (44.0%) in C. polykrikoides, G. impudicum and G. catenatum, respectively. The genetic similarity between C. polykrikoides and G. impudicum/G. catenatum was 0.83, whereas G. impudicum and G. catenatum was 0.78. Our results suggest that C. polykrikoides, G. impudicum and G. catenatum are extremely different on the basis of RAPD analysis, despite similarity based on their morphology. The RAPD technique appears to be efficient in detecting genetic variation in these dinoflagellates.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.187-188
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• 2007

The fluctuations of biochemical and molecular activities III the harmful dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, depending on water temperatures, were studied. In genomic DNA concentration, a similar value of 0.6 was shown at $12^{\circ}C$ and $15^{\circ}C$, but significantly increasing DNA from $18^{\circ}C$ (p<0.05), with a maximum of 1.8 at $24^{\circ}C$. After$24^{\circ}C$, the DNA significantly decreased to 0.6. Likely, the concentrations of RNA and total protein were at their highest values of 1.7 and 0.07 g $mL^1$ at $24^{\circ}C$, respectively. In contrast to ONA, RNA and total protein began to increase at $15^{\circ}C$. Oxygen availability between lower and higher temperatures was significantly different and increased from $18^{\circ}C$ according to light intensity, regardless of wavelengths (p<0.05). At $24^{\circ}C$, the highest value of the maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax), ranging from 537.9 (Ch 1) to 602.5 mol electrons $g^{-1}$ Ch1 a $s^{-1}$ (Ch 4), was also shown. Nitrate reductase (NR) and ATPase activities were at their highest values of 0.11 mol $NO_2^-g^{-1}$ Ch1 a $h^{-1}$ and 0.78 pmol 100 $mg^{-1}$ $at^2$ $4^{\circ}C$, respectively. When the cells cultured at $15^{\circ}C$, NR and ATPase activities significantly increased compared to $12^{\circ}C$ (p<0.05). In an analysis of CHN, the concentration of C and N also significantly increased (p<0.05). However, at $27^{\circ}C$, most of the molecular and biochemical movements were much lower, compared to $24^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that C. polykrikoides is very sensitive biochemical and molecular activities depending on water temperatures. Possibly, it is desirable to estimate at $18^{\circ}C$ the initiation of the massive blooming development of C. polykrikoides. In nature, it will be very difficult to maintain the massive blooms after $24^{\circ}C$ because of the possibility of significantly decreasing the molecular movement and activity of C. polykrikoides.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.593-607
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• 2004

The nucleotide sequence for a nuclear-encoded small subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) was determined for 43 species of the class Dinophyceae, including harmful algae Cochlodinium polykrikoides and Gyrodinium aureolum. These sequences and data analyses were performed by parsimony, distances and maximum likelihood methods in PHYLIP (Phylogenetic Inference Package) version 3.573c. The species Noctiluca scintillans, Gonyaulax spinifern and Crypthecodinium cohnii occupied a basal position within the Dino- phyceae in our analyses. The genera Alexandrium and Symbiodinium were monophyletic (supported by a bootstrap value of >70%), whereas the genera Gymnedinium and Gyrodinium formed polyphyletic nodes, for which bootstrap support was strong (>70%) in the neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood methods except for the PHYLIP parsimony analysis (=59%). The sequence divergence between G. aureolum and G. dorsum/ G. galathenum was the largest at 7.4% (45 bp), whereas G. aureolum and G. mikimotoi showed an extremely low value of genetic divergence of 0.9% (5 bp). The genetic divergence between C. polykrikoides and G. aureolum was a low value of 5.2% (31 bp). In the phylogenetic analysis, the placement of G. aureolum and C. polykrikoides was closer to the genus Gymnodinium than to the genus Gyrodinium, which was supported by a moderate bootstrap value.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.589-592
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• 2004

The growth response of the fish-killing dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides was studied in cultures, using the treatment of Ceratium extracts by a methanol, a water-soluble, and a cell-free medium. The cell-free medium had the most increasing on the growth of C. polykrikoides cultures, enriched with $\geq$ 25% Ceratium, whereas the methanol and water-souble fractions did not affect the growth of C. polykrikoides exposed to even higher concentration. In particular, the cell-free medium also increased the growth of Gyrodinium impudicum and Chaetoceros sp., similar species to C. polykrikoides. In contrast to C. polykrikoides, G. impudicum and Chaetoceros sp., the growth of Alexandrium tamarense was inhibited significantly, and there was no great effect on the growth of Prorocentrum minimum. These results imply that Ceratium extracts may play an important role in the stimulatory effect of C. polykrikoides, and they have to affect the interaction between C. polykrikoides and Ceratium when co-existing.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.255-262
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• 2004

We applied nuclear DNA content stained with 4'-6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and total protein concentration to predict the existence of Cochlodinium polykrikoides before huge blooms occurred, based on a short-term survey at sites in the South Sea. Fluctuations in environmental conditions and nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate) were of a similar range, regardless of sampling sites or early and middle field observations. However, C. polykrikoides abundance was significantly different depending on the station, with a higher cell density of 34, 62, and 57 cells L$^{-1}$ at Stn C2, C5, and C6, respectively than what was found in early August, 2000. In mid August, 2000, the highest cell density of 547 cells L$^{-1}$ at Stn C3 was observed. The relationship between C. polykrikoides abundance, DAPI-stained DNA content, and total protein concentration was a positive correlation coefficient, in particular a higher positive correlation was exposed to even a smaller abundance of C. polykrikoides. These results suggest that DNA stained by DAPI and total protein concentration could play an important index in easily predicting the presence of C. polykrikoides before blooms.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.452-457
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• 1999

Algicidal bacteria were isolated from the mud of south coastal sea of Korean peninsula and screened to evaluate algicidal activity on Cochlodinium polykrikoides. The optimum condition for the development of highest algicidal activity was determined, The optimum sodium chloride concentration for algicidal activity of isolated algicidal bacteria was $3\%$. The optimum temperature, pH and culture time for the highest algicidal activity were $30^{\circ}C$, pH 7 and above 24 hr, respectively. The algicidal activity were significantly increased at the stationary phase of the cell growth and continuously increased up to maximum at the death phase, probably due to the release of algicidal substance by cell Iysis. The effect of zinc ion addition on algicidal activity, was observed and indicated that the substance requires zinc for its activity. The candidate for the algicidal substance may be $\alpha$-mannosidase.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.235-247
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• 2009

In order to elucidate the cause of Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms in the Korea southern coastal water, we investigated observational data of water temperatures and salinities in summer and winter, obtained from the stoppage of ship by NFRDI (National Fisheries Research and Development Institute) as well as composite images by NOAA from 1995 to 2008. Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms occurred when water temperature was approximately $25.0{\sim}26.0^{\circ}C$ and salinity was 31.00 psu on average in Narodo neighboring seas. Different thermohaline fronts were observed between the Korea southern coastal water and the open sea water in summer and winter, respectively. That is, in winter four fronts were observed between the Korea southern coastal water with low temperature and low salinity, intermediate water originated from Tsushima Warm Current, Tsushima Warm Current with high temperature and high salinity, and the China coastal water with low temperature and low salinity. In contrast, in summer two fronts were observed between the Korea southern coastal water with low temperature and high salinity, Tsushima Warm Current with high temperature and low salinity, and the China coastal water with high temperature and high salinity. These thermohaline fronts also proved to be formed by two water masses with a different physical property, in terms of T-S diagrams. Consequently, we noticed that C. polykrikoides blooms occurring in Narodo neighboring seas in summer had a close relationship with thermohaline fronts observed between the Korea southern coastal water and Tsushima Warm Current.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.674-680
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• 2020

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was applied for the early detection of red tides in the coastal areas of South Gyeongsang in 2019. Cochlodinium polykrikoides (Dinophyceae) was detected at very low cell densities (0.0015~0.0058 cells mL^-1) in early June, but its cell density increased by up to 0.163 cells mL^-1 in mid-August. Higher cell densities were detected mainly in Namhaedo using both qPCR and microscopy (maximum 24 cells mL^-1) in late-August. Accordingly, a red tide alert was issued on September 2 (maximum 200 cells mL^-1) on this island. C. polykrikoides cell density in Namhaedo peaked on September 11 (12,000 cells mL^-1). Our results indicate that C. polykrikoides was detected at very low cell density in Namhaedo prior to bloom, which occurred in the same area. Therefore, qPCR is a useful tool to detect even at very low cell densities of C. polykrikoides for early warning of blooms.