There is increasing interest in the possibility of sexual recombination in dinoflagellates, especially those symbiotic with coral, since recombination may be able to augment genetic diversity and reduce levels of coral bleaching. Several previous studies have addressed this in Symbiodinium by querying sequence databanks with a list of 51 genes termed a meiosis detection toolkit. Here, we have constructed an expanded list of 307 genes involved in meiosis in budding yeast. We find the genes involved in the major regulatory steps in yeast meiosis are also found in dinoflagellates, as are many of the genes involved in recombination. In contrast, few genes involved in forming the synaptonemal complex or forming spores are conserved. We further note that the meiosis-related genes absent in dinoflagellates are also as a general rule absent from other protists in the closely related apicomplexa and the ciliates. We conclude the symbiotic dinoflagellates are as able to undergo meiosis as are other protists.

人们越来越希望在鞭毛藻中进行有性重组，特别是与珊瑚共生的鞭毛，因为这种重组可能能够增加遗传多样性并降低珊瑚的漂白水平。先前的一些研究已经在Symbiodinium中解决了这个问题通过查询具有51个称为减数分裂检测工具包的基因的序列的序列数据库。在这里，我们构建了与发芽酵母中减数分裂有关的307个基因的扩展列表。我们发现在鞭毛减数分裂中也发现了参与酵母减数分裂主要调控步骤的基因，以及许多参与重组的基因。相反，几乎没有涉及形成突触复合物或形成孢子的基因被保守。我们进一步注意到，在鞭毛虫中不存在与减数分裂相关的基因，作为一般规则，在紧密相关的蜂复合体和纤毛虫中，其他原生生物也通常不存在。我们得出结论，共鞭毛鞭毛藻与其他原生生物一样具有减数分裂的能力。