Index page for Allelochemical Info.

Allelochemistry

The B12 (cyanocobalamine) Binder

A remarkable example of the efficiency of evolution based on natural selection. The serendipitous production of a form of B12 attached to a "binder" that sequestered the product of an alga, so that the producer alone could use it, is magnificently outdone by the serendipitous production of a B12-binder by an alga that does not bother to make the B12, but rather picks up B12 produced by its competitors from surrounding waters. Considering how cleverly this works out, it is fortunate that these creatures cannot think about taking over the world! (Provasoli and Pintner, and Droop invested considerable effort in the study of the binder.)

B12 is produced and used by phytoplankters,
B12 attached to a "binder" is produced by the frugal ones.

The B12 binder alone is produced by the clever ones!

The cost of manufacture is too high for generosity.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning is only one manifestation of the problems introduced by toxic phytoplankton blooms. Other "red tides", toxic diatom blooms, and "brown tides" have wrecked commercial havoc on shellfisheries, aquaculture facilities, and tourist businesses along the coasts of every continent (excepting Antarctica). In recent years Aureococcus anophagefferens-based brown tides have plagued shellfisheries along the southern coast of Long Island, New York, and in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.

Some allelochemicals are inhibitors, some are toxins - some are entirely beneficial.

As with most things, the ultimate effect is dependent upon both quality and quantity.

RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS

Keating, K. I. 1976. Algal Metabolite Influence On Bloom Sequence In Eutrophic Freshwater Ponds. E.P.A. Ecological Research Monograph Series. (EPA-600/3-76-081). Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. pp. viii and 148.
Keating, K. I. 1976. Interference by blue-green algae with nutrient recovery in water quality control schema: Management implications. Chapt. 27. In Biological Control Of Water Pollution, Proceedings of the Symposium on Biological Water Quality Improvement Alternatives (J. Tourbier and R. Pierson, Jr., eds.) Univ. Penn. Press.
Keating, K. I. 1981. Extracellular metabolite involvement in plankton community structure. Algal Management And Control (Proceedings, USEPA/Army Corps. Engineering Conference, Monterey) pp. 146-197.

The Extraordinary Ubiquity of Allelochemistry!

For greater detailClick here.

Keating, K. I. 1977. Allelopathic influence on blue-green bloom sequence in a eutrophic lake. Science 196:885-887.
Keating, K. I. 1978. Blue-green algal inhibition of diatom growth: Transition from mesotrophic to eutrophic community structure. Science 199:971-973.
Keating, K. I. 1987. Aquatic Allelochemistry: Challenges. Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture and Forestry. ACS Symposium Series 330:136-146. American Chemical Society.
Allelochemistry in Aquatic Systems 1997. Ed. Inderjit - (peer-reviewed, in prep.)

Oscillatoria agardhi (producer)

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

1978. Serendipity: Allelopathy and eutrophication. Biology Department. WILLIAM PATERSON STATE COLLEGE, Wayne, New Jersey.
1979. From allelopathy to antibiosis: A circuitous straight line. School of Life Sciences Seminar and Lecture. UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, Lincoln, Nebraska.
1979. The study of antibiosis among the plankton: Developing tools. Ecology Department Seminar. STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, Stony Brook, N.Y.
1980. Management of eutrophied lakes through selective intervention. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL: RATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEMS. Speaker and panelist: AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM. Miami, Florida.
1984. Allelochemicals and nutrition in freshwater systems. INTERNAL SOCIETY FOR CHEMICAL ECOLOGY. Symposium, University of Texas, Austin.
1985. Exploring allelochemistry in aquatic systems: Challenges. AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM ON ALLELOCHEMICALS: ROLE IN AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND ECOLOGY. Annual Meeting, Chicago.
1985. Session Co-Chair: ACS, Agriculture and Food Chemistry Symposium on Allelochemicals: Role in Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecology. Chicago.
1995. Natural Products of phytoplankton: Allelochemicals, antibiotics (biotoxins), probiotics. NOAA, J. J. Howard National Marine Fisheries Laboratory, Sandy Hook.

ABSTRACTS

Keating, K. I. 1975. Algal allelopathic involvement in bloom sequence in freshwater. Journal of Phycology 11S:12-13.
Keating, K. I. 1977. Algal metabolite influence on bloom sequence in eutrophied waters. ANNUAL NORTHEAST ALGAL SYMPOSIUM AT WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE, Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Abstracts.
Keating, K. I. 1978. Role of silica availability in blue-green inhibition of diatom growth in eutrophied waters. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. Abstracts Volume.
Keating, K.I. 1985. Exploring allelochemistry in aquatic systems: Challenges. AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM ON ALLELOCHEMICALS: ROLE IN AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND ECOLOGY. Abstracts of Annual ACS Meeting, Chicago. Also, Abstracts of Food and Agricultural Chemistry Section of ACS.