Dr. Jeff Leblond
Professor

Departments / Programs
Degree Information
- PHD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1997)
- BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1993)
Areas of Expertise
Lipid biochemistry of algae, particularly marine dinoflagellates
Biography
Appointments
Middle Tennessee State University Dept. of Biology Professor 2010-present
Middle Tennessee State University Dept. of Biology Assoc. Prof. 2005-2010
Middle Tennessee State University Dept. of Biology Assist. Prof. 2000-2005
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville Dept. of Microbiol. Res. Asst. 1994-1997
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville Dept. of Microbiol. Teach. Asst. 1993-1994
NSF Proposal #: 0816787 Sole PI: Jeffrey D. Leblond Amount funded: $156,000 Fundi...
Appointments
Middle Tennessee State University Dept. of Biology Professor 2010-present
Middle Tennessee State University Dept. of Biology Assoc. Prof. 2005-2010
Middle Tennessee State University Dept. of Biology Assist. Prof. 2000-2005
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville Dept. of Microbiol. Res. Asst. 1994-1997
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville Dept. of Microbiol. Teach. Asst. 1993-1994
NSF Proposal #: 0816787 Sole PI: Jeffrey D. Leblond Amount funded: $156,000 Funding period: 9/2008 – 8/2011 Title: Sterol Biosynthesis in the Harmful Marine Dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis.
USDA Proposal #: 2017-67031-25635 PI: Mary Farone Co-PI: Jeffrey D. Leblond Amount funded: $99,879 Funding period: 11/15/2016-11/14/2017
Publications
46. Houle, H.M., Lopez, C.B. & Leblond, J.D. 2019. Sterols of the toxic marine dinoflagellate, Pyrodinium bahamense. J. Euk. Microbiol. 66:528-532.
45. Leblond, J.D., McDaniel, S.L., Lowrie, S.D., Khadka, M. & Dahmen, J.L. 2019. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. VIII. Temperature effects and a perspective on the curious case of Karenia mikimotoi as a producer of the...
Read More »46. Houle, H.M., Lopez, C.B. & Leblond, J.D. 2019. Sterols of the toxic marine dinoflagellate, Pyrodinium bahamense. J. Euk. Microbiol. 66:528-532.
45. Leblond, J.D., McDaniel, S.L., Lowrie, S.D., Khadka, M. & Dahmen, J.L. 2019. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. VIII. Temperature effects and a perspective on the curious case of Karenia mikimotoi as a producer of the unusual, “green algal” fatty acid hexadecatetraenoic acid [16:4(n-3)]. Eur. J. Phycol. 54:78-90.
44. Carter, J.D. & Leblond, J.D. 2018. Red (hot) algae: temperature induced modulation of fatty acid regiochemistry of mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol of Polysiphonia sp. and Porphyridium sp. as observed by electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry. Eur. J. Phycol. 53:460-470.
43. Klinger, C.M., Paoli, L., Newby, R., Wang, M.Y.-W., Carroll, H.D., Leblond, J.D., Howe, C.J., Dacks, J.B., Cahoon, B., Dorrell, R.G. & Richardson, E. 2018. Plastid transcript editing across dinoflagellate lineages shows lineage-specific application but conserved trends. Gen. Biol. Evol. 10:1019-1038.
42. Dahmen, A.S., Houle, H.M. & Leblond, J.D. 2017. Free sterols of the historically important green algal genera, Acetabularia and Acicularia (Polyphysaceae): A modern interpretation. Algological Stud. 153:59-70.
41. Leblond, J.D. & Dahmen, J.L. 2016. Recent advances and technologies in algal lipid biology. Front. Plant Sci. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01444.
40. Craig, E.M., Dahmen, J.L. & Leblond, J.D. 2015. Temperature modulation and the presence of C20 fatty acids in mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol of Euglena gracilis and Lepocinclis acus: A modern interpretation of euglenid galactolipids using positive-ion electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry. Phycol. Res. 63:231-238.
39. Leblond, J.D., Duong, L., Khadka, M. & Dahmen, J.L. 2015. Squishy lipids: temperature effects on the betaine and galactolipid profiles of a C18/C18 peridinin-containing dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium microadriaticum (Dinophyceae), isolated from the mangrove jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana. Phyc. Res. 63:219-230.
38. Khadka, M., Salem, M. & Leblond, J.D. 2015. Sterol composition and biosynthetic genes of Vitrella brassicaformis, a recently discovered chromerid: comparison to Chromera velia and phylogenetic relationship to apicomplexan parasites. J. Euk. Microbiol. 62:786- 798.
37. Dodson, V.J. & Leblond, J.D. 2014. Now you see it, now you don't: Differences in hydrocarbon production in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum due to growth temperature. J. Appl. Phycol. 26:1463-1472.
36. Khadka, M., Dahmen, J.L., Salem, M. & Leblond, J.D. 2014. Comparative study of galactolipid composition and biosynthetic genes for galactolipid synthases in Vitrella brassicaformis and Chromera velia, two recently identified chromerids with red algal- derived plastids. Algological Stud. 144:73-93.
35. Dodson, V.J., Mouget, J.-L., Dahmen, J.L. & Leblond, J.D. 2014. The long and short of it: Temperature-dependent modifications of fatty acid chain length and unsaturation in the galactolipid profiles of the diatoms Haslea ostrearia and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Hydrobiologia. 727:95-107.
34. Leblond, J.D., Dodson, V.J. & Dahmen, J.L. 2013. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. VII. Evidence against galactolipid production and plastid presence in the heterotrophic, basal dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina. Eur. J. Phycol. 48:309-317.
33. Leblond, J.D., Dahmen, A.S., Dodson, V.J. & Dahmen, J.L. 2013. Characterization of the betaine lipids, diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS) and diaclyglycerylhydroxymethyl- N,N,N-trimethyl-β-alanine (DGTA), in brown- and green- pigmented raphidophytes. Algological Stud. 142:17-28.
32. Dodson, V.J., Dahmen, J.L., Mouget, J.-L. & Leblond, J.D. 2013. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of the marennine-producing diatom, Haslea ostrearia: comparison to a selection of pennate and centric diatoms. Phyc. Res. 61:199- 207.
31. Leblond, J.D., Dahmen, A.S., Lebret, K. & Rengefors, K. 2013. Sterols of the green- pigmented, freshwater raphidophyte, Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophycea), from Scandinavian lakes. J. Euk. Microbiol. 60:399-405.
30. Dahmen, J.L., Khadka, M., Dodson, J. & Leblond, J.D. 2013. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. VI. Biochemical and genomic comparison of galactolipid biosynthesis between Chromera velia (Chromerida), a photosynthetic alveolate with a red algal plastid ancestry, to the dinoflagellate, Lingulodinium polyedrum. Eur. J. Phycol. 48:268-277.
29. Dahmen, J.L. & Leblond, J.D. 2013. Structural analysis and cellular localization of polyunsaturated C27 hydrocarbons in the marine dinoflagellate, Pyrocystis lunula (Dinophyceae). Protist 164:183-194.
28. Leblond, J.D., Porter, N.M., Roche, S.A. & Dunlap, N.K. 2012. Production of stigmasterol by the harmful marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. In Pagou, P. & Hallegraeff, G. [Eds.] Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Conference on Harmful Algae. pp. 229-231.
27. Leblond, J.D. & Dahmen*, J.L. 2012. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. V. Galactolipid profile of Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) during the course of an infection by the parasitic dinoflagellate, Amoebophrya sp. Eur. J. Phycol. 47:490-497.
26. Leblond, J.D., Dodson, J., Khadka, M., Holder, S. & Seipelt, R.S. 2012. Sterol composition and biosynthetic genes of the recently discovered photosynthetic alveolate, Chromera velia (Chromerida), a close relative of apicomplexans. J. Euk. Microbiol. 59:191-197.
25. Leblond, J.D. & Lasiter, A.D. 2012. Sterols of the green-pigmented, aberrant plastid dinoflagellate, Lepidodinium chlorophorum (Dinophyceae). Protist 163:38-46.
24. Dahmen, J.L. & Leblond, J.D. 2011. Free sterol composition of species in the dinoflagellate genus, Pyrocystis: a spectrum of sterol diversity. J. Euk. Microbiol. 58:475-9.
23. Leblond, J.D., Timofte, H.I., Roche, S.A. & Porter, N.M. 2011. Sterols of glaucocystophytes. Phycological Res. 59:129-134.
22. Roche, S.A. & Leblond, J.D. 2011. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of raphidophytes (Raphidophyceae): a modern interpretation using positive-ion electrospray/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. J. Phycol. 47:106-111.
21. Leblond, J.D., Roche, S.A., Porter, N.M., Howard, J.C, & Dunlap, N.K. 2011. Sterol biosynthesis in the harmful marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis: identification of biosynthetic intermediates produced during exposure to the fungicide fenpropidine. Phycological Res. 59:54-63.
20. Roche, S.A. & Leblond, J.D. 2010. Betaine lipids in chlorarachniophytes. Phycological Res. 58:298-305.
19. Leblond, J.D., Timofte, H.I., Roche, S.A., & Porter, N.M. 2010. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of glaucocystophytes (Glaucophyta): a modern interpretation using positive-ion electrospray/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. Phycological Res. 58:222-229.
18. Leblond, J.D., Lasiter, A.D., Li, C., Logares, R., Rengefors, K., & Evens, T.J. 2010. A data mining approach to dinoflagellate clustering according to sterol composition: correlations with evolutionary history. Int. J. Data Mining and Bioinformatics. 4:431-451.
17. Leblond, J.D., Dahmen, J.L., & Evens***, T.J. 2010. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. IV. Temperature-induced modulation of fatty acid regiochemistry as observed by electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry. Eur. J. Phycol. 45:13-18.
16. Gray, C.G., Lasiter, A.D., & Leblond, J.D. 2009. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. III. Four cold-adapted, peridinin-containing taxa and the presence of trigalactosyldiacylglycerol as an additional glycolipid. Eur. J. Phycol. 44:439- 445.
15. Leblond, J.D. & Lasiter, A.D. 2009. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. II. Lepidodinium chlorophorum, Karenia brevis, and Kryptoperidinium foliaceum, three dinoflagellates with aberrant plastids. Eur. J. Phycol. 44:199-205.
14. Gray, C.G., Lasiter, A.D., Li, C., & Leblond, J.D. 2009. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. I. Peridinin-containing taxa. Eur. J. Phycol. 44:191-197.
13. Leblond, J.D. & Roche, S.A. 2009. Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of chlorarachniophytes (Chlorarachniophyceae): production of a novel lauric acid (12:0)- containing form of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG). Phycologia 48:101-104.
12. Leblond, J.D., Lasiter, A.D., Li, C., Logares, R., Rengefors, K., & Evens***, T.J. 2008. Applying clustering and phylogeny analysis to study dinoflagellates based on sterol composition. In Chen, X.W., Hu, X.H., & Kim, S. [Eds.] Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine. pp. 90-97.
11. Leblond, J.D., Anderson, B., Kofink, D., Logares, R., Rengefors, K. & Kremp, A. 2006. Fatty acid and sterol composition of two evolutionarily closely related dinoflagellate morphospecies from cold Scandinavian brackish and freshwaters. Eur. J. Phycol. 41:303- 311.
10. Leblond, J.D., Sengco, M.R., Sickman, J.O., Dahmen, J.L. & Anderson, D.A. 2006. Sterols of the syndinian dinoflagellate, Amoebophrya sp., a parasite of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae). J. Eukaryotic Microbiol. 53:211-216.
9. Rogers, J.E., Leblond, J.D. & Moncrieff, C.A. 2006. Phylogenetic relationship of Alexandrium monilatum (Dinophyceae) to other Alexandrium species based on 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Harmful Algae 5:272-280.
8. Leblond, J.D., Dahmen, J.L., Seipelt, R.L., Elrod-Erickson, M.J., Kincaid, R., Howard, J.C., Evens***, T.J. & Chapman**, P.J. 2005. Lipid composition of chlorarachniophytes (Chlorarachniophyceae) from the genera Bigelowiella, Gymnochlora, and Lotharella. J. Phycol. 41:311-321.
7. Evens***, T.J. & Leblond, J.D. 2004. Photophysiology of the Florida red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis: Modifications in thylakoid lipid composition in response to environmental conditions. In Steidinger, K.A., Landsberg, J.H., Tomas, C.R., & Vargo, G.H. [Eds.] Proceedings of Harmful Algae 2002. pp. 414-416.
6. Leblond, J.D. & Chapman**, P.J. 2004. Sterols of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida (Dinophyceae): is there a lipid biomarker? J. Phycol. 40:104-111.
5. Leblond*, J.D., Evens***, T.J. & Chapman**, P.J. 2003. The biochemistry of dinoflagellate lipids, with particular reference to the fatty acid and sterol composition of a Karenia brevis bloom. Phycologia 42:324-331.
4. Leblond*, J.D. & Chapman**, P.J. 2002. A survey of the sterol composition of the marine dinoflagellates Karenia brevis, Karenia mikimotoi, and Karlodinium micrum: distribution of sterols within other members of the class Dinophyceae. J. Phycol. 38:670-682.
3. Leblond, J.D., Schultz, T.W. & Sayler, G.S. 2001. Observations on the preferential biodegradation of selected components of polyaromatic hydrocarbon mixtures. Chemosphere 42:333-43.
2. Leblond*, J.D. & Chapman**, P.J. 2000. Lipid class distribution of highly unsaturated long- chain fatty acids in marine dinoflagellates. J. Phycol. 36:1103-1108.
1. Leblond, J.D., Applegate, B.M., Menn, F.-M., Schultz T.W. & Sayler, G.S. 2000. Structure- toxicity assessment of metabolites of the aerobic bacterial transformation of substituted naphthalenes. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 19:1235-1246.
*Work carried out as a postdoc. **Deceased in March 2013. ***Deceased in September 2013. Student authors in bold.