''Mesodinium chamaeleon'' is a ciliate of the genus ''Mesodinium''. It is known for being able to consume and maintain algae endosymbiosis, endosymbiotically for days before digesting the algae. It has the ability to eat red and green algae, and afterwards using the chlorophyll granules from the algae to generate energy, turning itself from being a heterotroph into an autotroph. The species was discovered in January 2012 outside the coast of Nivå, Denmark by professor Øjvind Moestrup.
In contrast to certain other species of the genus, ''Mesodinium chamaeleon'' can be maintained in culture for short periods only. It captures and ingests flagellates including cryptomonads. The prey is ingested very rapidly into a food vacuole without the cryptomonad flagella being shed and the trichocysts being discharged. The individual food vacuoles subsequently serve as Photosynthesis, photosynthetic units, each containing the cryptomonad chloroplast, a Cell nucleus, nucleus, and some mitochondria. The ingested cells are eventually digested. This type of symbiosis differs from other plastid-bearing ''Mesodinium'' spp. Among the strains that belong to ''Mesodinium rubrum'', they are known for causing red tides in many coastal ecosystems. Although one of them denominated as ''M. rubrum'' is known as a non-toxic species, ciliate Algal bloom, blooms can be potentially Harmful algal bloom, harmful to aquaculture industries. ''M. rubrum'' performs photosynthesis by sequestering the nucleus of its cryptophytic prey, in order to keep the plastids and other stolen organelles. By this, the retained ingested cryptomonad cells remain almost intact. The food strategy of ''M. chamaeleon'' appears to be intermediate between heterotrophic species, such as ''Mesodinium pulex'' and ''Mesodinium pupula'', and species with red cryptomonad endosymbionts, such as ''Mesodinium rubrum''.
References
[Moeller, Holly, "Preferential Plastid Retention by the Acquired Phototroph Mesodinium chamaeleon", 2018-03, Vol.65 (2), p.148-158]
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q6821479
Mesodinium
Endosymbiotic events
Protists described in 2012
Ciliate species