The roles of allelopathy for succession of marine phytoplankton communities remain controversial, especially for the development of blooms. Physiological parameters measurement (Fv/Fm value, MDA content, SOD activity, Na⁺/K⁺, Ca²⁺/ Mg²⁺-ATPase activity, cell size, chlorophyll content, apoptosis and cell cycle) and whole transcriptome profiling analysis were used to investigate allelopathy effect of Skeletonema costatum on Karenia mikimotoi. Filtrate and extracts from S. costatum culture inhibited the growth of K. mikimotoi. Allelopathic effects were dose-dependent for filtrate culture and extract culture. K. mikimotoi scavenged excessive ROS and adapted to the stress fastly and easily, so oxidative damage was not the main cause of the growth inhibition. Allelochemicals of S. costatum were found to influence the structure and function of cell membrane of K. mikimotoi by damaging membrane structure till to cell necrosis, which caused high mortality. Coupled with the sensitivity of algal cells to environmental stress and restricted cell cycle, allelopathy was suggested to be deeply detrimental to the development of competition algal population.

化感作用在海洋浮游植物群落演替中的作用仍然存在争议，特别是对于水华的发展。生理参数测量（Fv/Fm值、MDA含量、SOD活性、Na ⁺ /K ⁺、Ca ²⁺ / Mg ²⁺ -ATP酶活性、细胞大小、叶绿素含量、细胞凋亡和细胞周期）和全转录组分析探讨Skeletonema costatum对Karenia mikimotoi的化感作用。S. costatum培养物的滤液和提取物抑制了K. mikimotoi 的生长。对于滤液培养和提取物培养，化感作用是剂量依赖性的。K. mikimotoi清除过量的 ROS 并快速轻松地适应压力，因此氧化损伤不是生长抑制的主要原因。发现S. costatum的化感化学物质通过破坏膜结构直至细胞坏死来影响K. mikimotoi细胞膜的结构和功能，导致高死亡率。再加上藻类细胞对环境压力的敏感性和受限制的细胞周期，化感作用被认为对竞争藻类种群的发展极为不利。