Programmed cell death (PCD) in dinoflagellates has been introduced as a new concept that facilitates the demise of harmful algal blooms. Metacaspases (MCAs) play a role in PCD, but their function in dinoflagellates is unclear. Here, we cloned a novel MCA gene (PmMCA) from the harmful dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum and examined its molecular characteristics and gene expression during cell death. The gene was encoded in the nuclear genome with two introns. The putative protein contained 288 amino acids and three conserved MCA signature motifs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PmMCA may have the same ancestor as other dinoflagellates. PmMCA expression and cell apoptosis were significantly induced under copper exposure, considerably affecting cell growth. These results suggest that PmMCA could be involved in PCD triggered by copper stress.

中文翻译：

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鉴定 Bloom-Forming 甲藻原体中的 Metacaspase 基因及其与程序性细胞死亡有关的推定功能。

甲藻中的程序性细胞死亡 (PCD) 已被引入作为促进有害藻华消亡的新概念。Metacaspases (MCAs) 在 PCD 中发挥作用，但它们在甲藻中的功能尚不清楚。在这里，我们从有害的甲藻原体中克隆了一个新的 MCA 基因 (PMMCA)，并检查了它在细胞死亡过程中的分子特征和基因表达。该基因在具有两个内含子的核基因组中编码。推定的蛋白质包含 288 个氨基酸和三个保守的 MCA 特征基序。系统发育分析表明，PMMCA 可能与其他鞭毛藻具有相同的祖先。PmMCA 表达和细胞凋亡在铜暴露下显着诱导，显着影响细胞生长。这些结果表明 PmMCA 可能参与由铜应力引发的 PCD。