Morphogenesis and Molecular Phylogeny of a Soil Ciliate Uroleptoides longiseries (Foissner,Agatha and Berger, 2002) Berger 2008 (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia)

Morphogenesis of the hypotrich ciliate Uroleptoides longiseries, isolated from sandy soil beside the Yellow River, Suide, Yulin, Shaanxi Province, China, was investigated using protargol staining. The main events during binary fission are as follows: (1) the long frontoventral row is formed by a single anlage; (2) five frontoventral‐transverse cirral anlagen are formed in primary mode; (3) only the posterior part of the parental adoral zone of the membranelles is renewed; and (4) the oral primordium of the opisthe is formed intrakinetally. This is the first detailed record of all stages of morphogenesis for Uroleptoides. We also provide the first record of the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences for U. longiseries. Phylogenetic analyses based on the SSU rDNA sequences data show that Uroleptoides longiseries clusters with U. magnigranulosa with moderate to high support which together form a clade with Orthoamphisiella breviseries. These three species share the morphogenetic feature of the long frontoventral row being formed by a single anlage.     

Description of a mirror-image doublet from a Brazilian strain of Gastrostyla setifera (Engelmann, 1862) Kent, 1882 (Ciliophora: Stichotrichia)

The present work describes a mirror-image doublet morph found in a Brazilian strain of the stichotrich ciliate Gastrostyla setifera (Engelmann, 1862) Kent, 1882, obtained from a sample of water and sediment from an urban freshwater stream in the city of Juiz de Fora (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The doublet measured 63 x 49 microm, and had two components where the right one has upside-down arranged adoral membranelles with a set of small oblique membranelles at its proximal (posterior) end. The fronto-ventral-transverse ciliature comprised 34 cirri, mostly related to the left component, as well as two marginal rows. On the dorsal surface there were eight dorsal kineties and six caudal cirri. Dorsomarginal kineties were lacking. The macronucleus comprised one irregular-shaped transverse nodule and two smaller roughly ellipsoid longitudinal nodules.     

Morphology,Morphogenesis, and Phylogeny of Urosoma caudata (Ehrenberg, 1833) Berger, 1999 (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia) based on a Chinese Population

We report the morphology and morphogenesis of Urosoma caudata (Ehrenberg, 1833) Berger, 1999 based on in vivo observation and protargol impregnation and provide an improved diagnosis of U. caudata based on previous and current work. Urosoma caudata differs from its congeners mainly by the combination of the following features: tail‐like posterior end, colorless cortical granules, and two macronuclear nodules. Urosoma caudata shares most of the ontogenetic features with its congeners: the oral primordium of the opisthe develops apokinetally, and the frontal‐ventral‐transverse cirral anlagen develop in five streaks. However, a unique morphogenetic characteristic is recognizable: the anlagen of three dorsal kineties occur de novo to the left of the parental structures differing from their intrakinetal origin in other Urosoma species. The first record of the 18S rRNA gene sequence for the species is also provided. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rRNA gene sequence data suggest that the genus Urosoma is a nonmonophyletic group.     

Morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of two soil ciliates Australocirrus australis (Foissner, 1995) Kumar and Foissner, 2015 and A. aspoecki (Foissner, 2004) Kumar and Foissner, 2015 (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia)

The morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of two soil hypotrich ciliates, Australocirrus australis and A. aspoecki, collected from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, were investigated using protargol preparation. The main features of morphogenesis of A. australis are as follows: (1) the parental adoral zone of membranelles is retained completely in the proter; (2) parental cirri and the undulating membranes are involved in the formation of six primordial streaks; (3) multiple fragmentation of the third dorsal kinety anlage; (4) more than three dorsomarginal kineties are formed. An early divider of A. aspoecki was also found, and its morphogenetic events resemble those of other Australocirrus species. Furthermore, the SSU rDNA sequence of the Shaanxi populations of A. australis and A. aspoecki was provided. The molecular phylogeny indicates that A. aspoecki clusters together with A. rubrus and two populations of A. australis with full support, which are separated from the clade comprising the two populations of A. shii.     

Morphology and morphogenesis of a freshwater ciliate, Epistylis chlorelligerum Shen, 1980 (Ciliophora, Peritrichia)

An oligohalobic peritrichous ciliate, Epistylis chlorelligerum Shen, 1980, was collected from a ditch in Hangzhou, China. The morphology, oral infraciliature, and morphogenesis of the species were studied using living and protargol-impregnated specimens. Zooids of E. chlorelligerum are 160-230 × 50-60 μm in vivo, and characterized by green-colored endoplasm containing symbiotic algae. The oral infraciliature presents a well-developed filamentous reticulum linked to the circular fiber of the cytostome; the outer two rows of P3 extend adstomally over P1 and usually enfold it. During binary fission, one daughter cell inherits most part of the old buccal apparatus and the reorganized haplokinety and germinal kinety (Hk' and G'), and new buccal apparatus of the other daughter cell is mostly developed from the original germinal kinety (G) and haplokinety (Hk): new peniculi 2, 3 (2P2, 2P3), new haplokinety (2Hk), and new germinal kinety (2G) are formed from G, while the new peniculus 1 (2P1) and its peristomial extention (2Pk) originate from Hk. The epistomial membrane can be observed until the two sets of buccal apparatus begin to separate from each other.     

Morphology and small subunit rDNA phylogeny of a new soil ciliate, Bistichella variabilis n. sp. (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia)

We isolated a new ciliate, Bistichella variabilis n. sp., from slightly saline soil of the Yellow River Delta in China and studied it using live observation, protargol staining, and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequencing. Bistichella variabilis is elongated ellipsoidal and about 220 × 70 μm in vivo, with a variable number and arrangement of cirri- ventral row VI mostly very short, but a long row observed also in one specimen, and an extra row occasionally exists besides the left or the right marginal row. Bistichella variabilis differs from all congeners except Bistichella buitkampi (Foissner, 1982) in the macronuclear pattern (four vs. two or many nodules); and from B. buitkampi by the usual oblique arrangement of transverse cirri (vs. perpendicular); and the ventral row VI mostly restricted in the posterior quarter of the cell (vs. long and stretching to the anterior quarter). Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences indicated that B. variabilis grouped with the clade of Orthoamphisiella breviseries and Uroleptoides magnigranulosus with high support values. Despite their distinct differences in morphology, these three species have sequence similarities of 99.5-99.7%. Nonetheless, it is still premature to assign Bistichella together with Uroleptoides to the family Orthoamphisiellidae because of the taxonomic uncertainties and undersampling.     

Morphology,morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of a freshwater ciliate,Monomicrocaryon euglenivorum euglenivorum (Ciliophora,Oxytrichidae)

The morphology, morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of the oxytrichid ciliate, Monomicrocaryon euglenivorum euglenivorum (Kahl, 1932) Foissner, 2016, isolated from freshwater in a seaside park, Guangzhou, China, were investigated. Monomicrocaryon euglenivorum euglenivorum can be recognized as follows: caudal cirri in midline of body; dorsal kinety 1 without a one-kinetid-wide gap; transverse cirri acicular or rod-shaped with a fringed distal end; right marginal row commences at level of buccal vertex or anterior to buccal vertex. The main events during binary fission are as follows: (1) the proter retains the parental adoral zone of membranelles entirely; (2) frontoventral-transverse cirral anlagen I–VI are segmented in the ordinary pattern 1:3:3:3:4:4 from left to right, which form three frontal, four frontoventral, one buccal, three postoral ventral, two pretransverse ventral and five transverse cirri, respectively; (3) dorsal morphogenesis is in the typical Oxytricha-pattern, but fragmentation of dorsal kinety 3 is indistinct; and (4) three caudal cirri are formed, one at the posterior end of each of dorsal kineties 1, 2 and 4. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences showed that M. euglenivorum euglenivorum clustered with Kleinstyla dorsicirrata and Heterourosomoida lanceolata rather than with its congener M. elegans. The genus Monomicrocaryon is not monophyletic in this study; however, its monophyly is not rejected by the AU test.     

Morphology,Morphogenesis and Phylogenetic Position of the Soil Hypotrichous Ciliate,Parabistichella dieckmanni (Foissner, 1998) Foissner, 2016 (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia), with Notes on the Phylogeny of Parabistichella

The morphology, morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of Parabistichella dieckmanni (Foissner, 1998) Foissner, 2016, isolated from north China, were investigated. The Chinese population was characterized as having five to seven frontal cirri in corona, four to seven buccal cirri arranged in a row, two to four short frontal rows and two long frontoventral rows, three to seven transverse cirri, four macronuclear nodules, three dorsal kineties following a Gonostomum-pattern, and caudal cirri absent. Morphogenetic research reveals that the main characteristics during binary fission are as follows: (1) the long left frontoventral row is formed by two or three anlagen; (2) the posterior part of the parental adoral zone of membranelles is renewed, and the oral primordium of the opisthe is formed intrakinetally; (3) FVT-anlagen I to VI (or V, VII) produce each a frontal cirrus to form the frontal corona; (4) development of dorsal kineties follows the Gonostomum-pattern. Phylogenetic analyses showed that P. dieckmanni does not group with other Parabistichella species. Therefore, the genus Parabistichella is polyphyletic. Additionally, Parabistichella variabilis n. comb. (basionym: Bistichella variabilis He & Xu, 2011) and Parabistichella cheni n. nom. (basionym: Parabistichella variabilis Jiang et al., 2013) were suggested.     

Not-adaptive behavior of isotropically heated, inert populations of Oxytricha bifaria (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia)

The physiological effects on isotropically heated populations of Oxytricha bifaria cultured at 24 degrees C were investigated. At 34.6 degrees C ciliates became inert, and did not adaptively react to either cold or warm microgradients; they neither moved towards the favorable cold thermal source nor escaped from the unfavorable warm one. The inert oxytrichas were only able to perform the Side-Stepping Reaction (SSR) on the same spot. However, mobile ciliates at 31.6 degrees C reacted to the cold microgradient by immediately orienting themselves towards its source, without accelerating but reducing their SSR frequency. Moreover, in a warm microgradient such ciliates immediately increased their SSR frequency, then moved away from the thermal source. At 34.6 degrees C the behavior of ciliates was not-adaptive--not acting to guide the organisms to more favorable conditions--whereas at 31.6 degrees C it was still clearly adaptive. Therefore, the locomotory inertness of the oxytrichas at 34.6 degrees C was the result of thermal stress rather than their behavioral response to the environmental isotropy, in contrast to populations of the same species made inert at 9 degrees C.     

Morphology and morphogenesis of Epistylis plicatilis ehrenberg, 1831 (Ciliophora,Peritrichia) from Wuhan,China

A limnetic peritrichous ciliate, Epistylis plicatilis Ehrenberg, 1831, was collected from a freshwater ditch beside Moshan Hill, Wuhan, China. Its morphology, infraciliature, and morphogenesis were investigated based on specimens examined in vivo, following staining with protargol and by scanning electron microscopy. The characteristics of the Wuhan population of E. plicatilis are as follows: 1) colonial, each colony typically comprising 30–50 individuals, with a dichotomously branched, noncontractile stalk; 2) fully expanded zooids measure 90–155 × 30–50 µm in vivo; 3) a series of 6 or 7 conspicuous folds appear in the posterior region of the zooid when it contracts; 4) single horseshoe‐shaped macronucleus oriented transversely; 5) single contractile vacuole located in peristomial region on dorsal wall of infundibulum; 6) myoneme system comprises 20–24 longitudinal fibers, peristomial disk fibers as a wreath‐like net and peristomial ring fibers; 7) narrowly spaced transverse striations on the surface of the body; 8) infundibular polykineties 1 and 2 are three‐rowed, infundibular polykinety 3 is two‐rowed; and 9) stomatogenesis is of the buccokinetal type; in the new oral apparatus, infundibular polykineties 2 and 3, the haplokinety, and the germinal kinety all originate from the germinal kinety of the parental oral apparatus whereas the polykinety and infundibular polykinety 1 originate from the parental haplokinety. An improved diagnosis of E. plicatilis is supplied. J. Morphol. 275:882–893, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Morphology,morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of a new marine urostylid ciliate (Ciliophora,Stichotrichia) from the South China Sea,and a brief overview of the convergent evolution of the midventral pattern within the Spirotrichea

The morphology, infraciliature, morphogenetic events, and small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene‐based phylogeny of a stichotrich ciliate, Bergeriella ovata gen. et sp. nov. , found in coastal waters off Daya Bay, Guangdong, South China, were investigated. The new taxon has an atypical midventral pattern, and is characterized by several rather unusual morphological features: frontal cirri forming an irregular tricorona; one nonmigratory row located right of the midventral rows, which is morphogenetically derived from the posteriormost fronto‐ventral‐transverse (FVT) streak; conspicuously enlarged postoral ventral cirri, whereas the left ventral cirri are delicate and arranged in oblique rows. Based on both the morphological and morphogenetical data, a new family, Bergeriellidae fam. nov. , is proposed. In the SSU rRNA phylogenetic trees, B. ovata gen. et sp. nov. groups with the classic urostylids (urostylids s.s.) with high nodal support. Our phylogenetic analyses have revealed at least seven separate clades for midventral pattern‐bearing taxa (e.g. Pattersoniella, Neokeronopsis, Rigidothrix, urostylids s.s., Uroleptidae, Holostichidae + Psammomitridae, and Pseudoamphisiellidae), suggesting that the order Urostylida Jankowski, 1979 sensu Lynn, 2008 is a polyphyletic assemblage, and that the convergent evolution of the urostylid midventral pattern might have occurred more times among the spirotrichs than has previously been recognized. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 697–710.     

Anteholosticha foissneri n. sp., a marine hypotrich ciliate (Ciliophora: Spirotrichea) from Vietnam: Morphology,morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny

In a study of marine ciliate diversity, we collected an Anteholosticha monilata-like population from Vietnam. To identify this population, we analyzed its morphology, some morphogenetic stages, and molecular phylogeny. Based on these data, we conclude that the Vietnamese population is new to science. Anteholosticha foissneri n. sp. resembles Anteholosticha monilata-like species considering (1) the number and arrangement of macronuclear nodules and micronuclei; (2) the presence of cortical granules; and (3) the saline habitat. However, the new species can be easily distinguished from these species by the arrangement, color, and shape of the cortical granules. The divisional morphogenesis commences with the de novo proliferation of basal bodies as a single longitudinal patch left of the posteriormost midventral cirral pair. This character state has not been reported before in Anteholosticha (based on check of the available data) and probably reflects a distinct clade within the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene tree.     

Morphology,morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of a novel soil ciliate,Afrokahliella paramacrostoma n. sp. (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia)

A soil hypotrich ciliate, Afrokahliella paramacrostoma n. sp., was discovered in China. Its morphology, morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny were investigated using standard methods. The new species is characterized as follows: body about 140–180 × 60–70 μm in vivo, cortical granules absent, contractile vacuole positioned about 40% down length of body, 5–9 macronuclear nodules, 34–49 adoral membranelles, 3–5 buccal and 3–6 parabuccal cirri, usually two frontoventral rows, three or four left and two or three right marginal rows, three dorsal kineties and one dorsomarginal kinety; 1–3 and one or two caudal cirri located at the ends of dorsal kineties 1 and 2, respectively. The ontogenetic process is characterized by: (1) the marginal anlagen on each side develop in the outer right and the inner left marginal rows, respectively; (2) five frontoventral-transverse cirral anlagen, anlagen II–IV develop in secondary mode; (3) dorsal morphogenesis follows a typical Urosomoida-pattern, no parental dorsal kineties are retained; (4) caudal cirri are generated at the ends of dorsal kineties 1 and 2. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequence data reveals that Afrokahliella paramacrostoma n. sp. is closely related to Parakahliella macrostoma and Hemiurosomoida longa.     

Morphology,morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of a new marine ciliate,Trichototaxis marina n. sp. (Ciliophora,Urostylida)

The live morphology, infraciliature and morphogenesis of a new urostylid ciliate, Trichototaxis marina n. sp., collected from coastal water in Qingdao, China, were studied based on the observations of live and silver stained specimens. The new species is characterised as follows: body very flexible and contractile, slight to brick-reddish in colour due to irregularly-shaped, brick-red pigments; ca. 70 adoral membranelles; about 17 frontal cirri arranged in a bicorona; average 67 midventral pairs, the right base of each pair being conspicuously larger than the left base; five to seven transverse cirri; constantly two frontoterminal, one buccal and two pretransverse ventral cirri; two or three left marginal rows; right and innermost left marginal rows with 56–92 and 66–106 cirri, respectively; six bipolar dorsal kineties; more than 100 macronuclear nodules. The characteristic morphogenetic feature in T. marina is the development of the left marginal rows, that is, only one left marginal row is newly built the other one or two being retained from the parental cell. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit ribosomal gene sequence data reveal a close relationship of T. marina with members of family Pseudokeronopsidae.     

Description of Deviata rositae n. sp., a new ciliate species (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia) from Argentina

Soil samples were taken from a temporary pond located in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during the dry phase in the summer of 2005. The ciliates were studied alive and after staining with protargol. Deviata rositae n. sp. measures 112-154 microm in length and 21-28 microm in width in vivo and has a vermiform body. The contractile vacuole is located in the mid-body on the left. The macronucleus is moniliform and there are 1-3 micronuclei. The oral apparatus is composed of 14-18 adoral membranelles and straight paroral and endoral membranes that never intersect each other. The somatic ciliature is arranged in four frontal cirri, one buccal cirrus, six long and slightly spiraled rows of cirri with the first right row extending up to the equatorial or sub-equatorial region, and two dorsal rows of dikinetids. This new species of Deviata primarily differs from its congeners by the number of macronuclear nodules and the number and disposition of the dorsal rows of dikinetids.     

Morphology and SSU rRNA gene‐based phylogeny of two Diophrys‐like ciliates from northern china,with notes on morphogenesis of Pseudodiophrys nigricans (Protozoa,Ciliophora)

Two free‐living marine euplotid ciliates, Pseudodiophrys nigricans and Diophrys japonica, collected from the coastal waters off Qingdao, northern China, were investigated using live observations and protargol impregnation methods. The cortical development of P. nigricans was observed during binary division. Although its general pattern of morphogenesis is similar to that of other Diophrys‐like species, three unusual features are noteworthy: 1) the frontoventral transverse cirral anlagen develop in the secondary mode, similar to that of Euplotes; 2) the undulating membrane anlage migrates far from the cytostome and does not split into two membranes; and 3) the parental adoral zone of membranelles remains nearly intact throughout the entire morphogenetic process. Diophrys japonica is redescribed based on a Chinese population and can be recognized by having one left marginal cirrus, densely arranged cortical granules, and a fragment kinety with three dikinetids. Phylogenetic analyses based on the small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequence data indicate that D. japonica is placed within the Diophrys clade and is most closely related to the well‐known D. apoligothrix. © J. Morphol., 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Morphology and morphogenesis of a new oxytrichid ciliate,Notohymena limus n. sp. (Ciliophora,Oxytrichidae) from Delhi,India

The morphology and morphogenesis of a new oxytrichid ciliate, Notohymena limus n. sp. were studied in vivo and after protargol impregnation. The new ciliate was isolated from the sewage sludge at Delhi Jal Board Sewage Treatment Plant located at Rithala, Delhi, India, using the non-flooded Petri dish method. N. limus n. sp. is characterized as follows: flexible dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoidal body; Notohymena-pattern undulating membranes; adoral zone of membranelles (AZM) occupied about 39% of the body length, and consists of around 26 membranelles; large and deep buccal cavity; colorless subpellicular granules present in groups and arranged around the bases of dorsal bristles; 4 macronuclear nodules; 2 micronuclei; 18 fronto-ventral-transverse (FVT) cirri in typical Oxytricha-pattern; 6 dorsal rows of bristles; 3 caudal cirri; about 16 right and 15 left marginal cirri; N. limus n. sp. is a new species on the basis of the combination of morphological, morphometric and morphogenetic characteristic features.