Microscopic investigation of three species of Diophrys (Ciliophora,Euplotida, Uronychiidae) from Japan,including Diophrys peculiaris nov. spec

Three species of Diophrys, D. peculiaris nov. spec., D. cf. scutum and D. oligothrix, isolated from the New Nagasaki Fishing Port, Nagasaki, Japan, were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Diophrys peculiaris nov. spec. can be recognized by having two characteristic clusters of rod-like structures and two groups of dikinetids located on anterior dorsal portion of cell. Morphogenetic data show that this part of the life cycle basically proceeds as in congeners, except for the formation of dikinetids under the rod-like structures. In the opisthe, the origin of dikinetids under the rod-like structures is still unknown, but the old dikinetids under the rod-like structures may be retained by the proter. The Japanese population of Diophrys cf. scutum resembles other populations of D. scutum well except for moniliform macronuclear segments. Our populations of D. oligothrix correspond well with other populations in terms of general morphology and ciliary pattern, in particular the continuous dorsal kineties with loosely arranged cilia.     

Hyalophysa lynni n. sp. (Ciliophora,Apostomatida), a new pathogenic ciliate and causative agent of shrimp black gill in penaeid shrimp

The parasitic ciliate causing shrimp black gill (sBG) infections in penaeid shrimp has been identified. The sBG ciliate has a unique life cycle that includes an encysted divisional stage on the host’s gills. The ciliature of the encysted trophont stage has been determined and is quite similar to that of the closely related apostomes Hyalophysa bradburyae and H. chattoni. Hyalophysa bradburyae is a commensal ciliate associated with freshwater caridean shrimp and crayfish, while H. chattoni is a common commensal found on North American marine decapods. Based on 18S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, the sBG ciliate is more closely related to the marine species H. chattoni than to the freshwater species H. bradburyae. The unique life cycle, morphology, 18S rRNA gene sequence, hosts, location, and pathology of the sBG ciliate distinguish this organism as a new species, Hyalophysa lynni n. sp.     

Simple Synthesis of Climacostol,a Defensive Secretion by the Ciliate Climacostomum virens

Climacostol {1,3-dihydroxy-5-[(Z)-2'-nonenyl]benzene,1}, a defensive secretion by the protozoan ciliate Climacostomum virens against predators, was synthesized in a 43% overall yield in three steps by starting from methyl 1,3-bis(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy) phenylacetate (3).     

瘦尾虫的小核在无性繁殖周期中对细胞形态结构的影响

通过显微切割建立瘦尾虫无小核细胞系,并与原细胞系及切割后再生的有小核细胞系进行对照观察。结果表明,无小核细胞的形态结构,尤其是口器出现高比率的畸形。在生长静止期,无小核细胞系群体中约23 % (36/155)的细胞完全失去了波动膜。与此同时,这些细胞的口围带也显出异常。一些无小核细胞的大核也出现异常,有的细胞仅含有1枚大核,有的则含有4枚,而不是通常的2枚;还有少数细胞的大核在非细胞分裂期进行分裂。上述结果提示,在无性繁殖周期中,瘦尾虫的小核对于维持正常的细胞形态结构、尤其是保持胞口结构的稳定性和大核数的恒定起着重要的作用[动物学报52 (2) : 383 -388 , 2006]。     

岳麓山部分水域春季纤毛虫种类组成及生态研究

报道了岳麓山部分水域春季纤毛虫种类共24种,分别隶属9目,17属;裸口属等5属是所调查的3种水体中的优势类群;前口虫属等4属为常见类群;旋口虫属是偶见类群.并分析了温度、pH值对部分水域纤毛虫种类组成的影响.13℃是纤毛虫类生活的下限温度;俏裸口虫、大草履是水体中的广温性种类;猎半眉虫等是狭高温性种类.水体pH值为7时,叶绿尖毛虫等可见,为嗜中性种类;圆形半眉虫等只在pH为6.5的水中采到,为嗜酸性种类;俏裸口等在pH6.5～7的水中均可采到,可视为耐受pH范围广的种类.各水体由于污染物种类不同,优势种组成也不一样,通过与Fjerding制订的污水指示生物中的原生动物相对照,所采集到的3种水体均已达到多污和强中污程度,应引起相关部门的高度重视.     

An ITS-based phylogenetic framework for the genus Vorticella: finding the molecular and morphological gaps in a taxonomically difficult group

Vorticella includes more than 100 currently recognized species and represents one of the most taxonomically challenging genera of ciliates. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Vorticella has been performed so far with only sequences coding for small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA); only a few of its species have been investigated using other genetic markers owing to a lack of similar sequences for comparison. Consequently, phylogenetic relationships within the genus remain unclear, and molecular discrimination between morphospecies is often difficult because most regions of the SSU rRNA gene are too highly conserved to be helpful. In this paper, we move molecular systematics for this group of ciliates to the infrageneric level by sequencing additional molecular markers—fast-evolving internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions—in a broad sample of 66 individual samples of 28 morphospecies of Vorticella collected from Asia, North America and Europe. Our phylogenies all featured two strongly supported, highly divergent, paraphyletic clades (I, II) comprising the morphologically defined genus Vorticella. Three major lineages made up clade I, with a relatively well-resolved branching order in each one. The marked divergence of clade II from clade I confirms that the former should be recognized as a separate taxonomic unit as indicated by SSU rRNA phylogenies. We made the first attempt to elucidate relationships between species in clade II using both morphological and multi-gene approaches, and our data supported a close relationship between some morphospecies of Vorticella and Opisthonecta, indicating that relationships between species in the clade are far more complex than would be expected from their morphology. Different patterns of helix III of ITS2 secondary structure were clearly specific to clades and subclades of Vorticella and, therefore, may prove useful for resolving phylogenetic relationships in other groups of ciliates.     

The species-rich assemblages of tintinnids (marine planktonic protists) are structured by mouth size

Many microbial taxa in the marine plankton appear super-saturated in species richness. Here, we provide a partial explanation by analyzing how species are organized, species packing, in terms of both taxonomy and morphology. We focused on a well-studied group, tintinnid ciliates of the microzooplankton, in which feeding ecology is closely linked to morphology. Populations in three distinct systems were examined: an Eastern Mediterranean Gyre, a Western Mediterranean Gyre and the California Current. We found that species abundance distributions exhibited the long-tailed, log distributions typical of most natural assemblages of microbial and other organisms. In contrast, grouping in oral size-classes, which corresponds with prey-size exploited, revealed a geometric distribution consistent with a dominant role of a single resource in structuring an assemblage. The number of species found in a particular oral size-class increases with the numerical importance of the size-class in the overall population. We suggest that high species diversity reflects the fact that accompanying each dominant species are many ecologically similar species, presumably able to replace the dominant species, at least with regard to the size of prey exploited. Such redundancy suggests that species diversity greatly exceeds ecological diversity in the plankton.     

Some but not All Tetrahymena Species Destroy Monolayer Cultures of Cells from a Wide Range of Tissues and Species

The activities of Tetrahymena corlissi, Tetrahymena thermophila, and Tetrahymena canadensis were studied in coculture with cell lines of insects, fish, amphibians, and mammals. These ciliates remained viable regardless of the animal cell line partner. All three species could engulf animal cells in suspension. However, if the animal cells were monolayer cultures, the monolayers were obliterated by T. corlissi and T. thermophila. Both fibroblast and epithelial monolayers were destroyed but the destruction of human cell monolayers was done more effectively by T. thermophila. By contrast, T. canadensis was unable to destroy any monolayer. At 4 °C T. thermophila and T. corlissi did not carryout phagocytosis and did not destroy monolayers, whereas T. canadensis was able to carryout phagocytosis but still could not destroy monolayers. Therefore, monolayer destruction appeared to require phagocytosis, but by itself this was insufficient. In addition, the ciliates expressed a unique swimming behavior. Tetrahymena corlissi and T. thermophila swam vigorously and repeatedly into the monolayer, which seemed to loosen or dislodge cells, whereas T. canadensis swam above the monolayer. Therefore, differences in swimming behavior might explain why T. corlissi has been reported to be a pathogen but T. canadensis has not.     

北京城区公园的植物种类构成及空间结构

对植物种类构成及空间结构的研究,可为公园植物多样性保护及公园的科学管理提供重要依据.采用分层随机抽样调查法,调查了北京市五环以内的53处公园,共记录维管束植物96科283属492种.基于研究区乔、灌、草共21个调查项目的大量数据及相关统计分析,对北京城区公园绿地各层植物的常见结构型式进行了阐述.结果表明：北京城区公园植物中,本地种占5386%,植物属的区系地理分布很广泛,优势植物的优势性明显;研究区大部分公园的草本植物种类较为丰富、盖度较高,而灌木盖度偏低、树冠下的灌木也偏少,乔灌植物种类丰富度和密度不高,乔木冠幅、胸径、灌幅及乔灌高度基本在2级水平,但乔木冠层结构比较丰满、受光良好、生长状况良好,灌木叶层缺失不明显.通过相关分析和北京市园林绿化史调研结果推测,北京城区公园植物种类构成及其空间结构主要受园林设计、植物引种、种植管理的影响.