自由生活的异养鞭毛虫多样性及生态功能

随着对水生态系统结构与功能的深入研究,自由生活的异养鞭毛虫在水生态系统中的作用成为当前生态学领域的热点之一.已有的研究结果表明,异养鞭毛虫物种丰富,摄食方式多样,周转迅速,是微食物环的重要成分,在水生态系统中起着十分重要的作用.异养鞭毛虫物种多样性及生态学方面的系统研究将有助于对水生态系统结构、功能和过程深入了解.综述了异养鞭毛虫多样性、群落结构、摄食生态学以及在氮、磷循环中的作用,分析了其在生态系统中的功能.     

白洋淀异养鞭毛虫群落特征及其与环境因子的相关性

于2010年4月至2011年3月调查了白洋淀3个典型湖区表层水体异养鞭毛虫丰度和生物量及环境因子的周年变化,分析了异养鞭毛虫群落与环境因子的相关关系。白洋淀表层水体异养鞭毛虫的丰度和生物量分别介于100-3200 个/mL和35.98-2328.85 μg/L之间,周年平均值分别为1054 个/mL和532.93 μg/L。白洋淀小型异养鞭毛虫(＜7 μm)的丰度占总丰度的47.11%,而生物量只占总生物量的6.82%;中型异养鞭毛虫(约7-14 μm)的丰度占总丰度的37.42%,生物量占总生物量的39.21%;大型异养鞭毛虫(＞14 μm)的丰度虽只占总丰度的15.47%,却贡献了53.97%的生物量。相关性分析表明,异养鞭毛虫丰度与总氮和氨氮呈显著性负相关,与pH值、细菌丰度、纤毛虫丰度及叶绿素a含量呈显著性正相关;异养鞭毛虫生物量与pH值、溶解氧、纤毛虫丰度及叶绿素a含量显著正相关,与总氮、氨氮呈显著负相关。结果表明异养鞭毛虫群落在微食物环中起着枢纽作用。     

肠道鞭毛虫群落及在宿主白蚁分类学上的意义

于国内五个常见白蚁种肠道内共记录到十七个鞭毛虫种。鞭毛虫种群具特异性和稳定性。群落相的变异度反映了宿主白蚁亲缘关系的离散度。异域同种白蚁肠道鞭毛虫群落显示稳定的同一相,同属异种白蚁的鞭毛虫群落部分相同;异科异属或同科异属白蚁的鞭毛虫群落绝然相异。 鉴于传统的生物分类法已明显地显示出其片面性及局限性,为此,人们正试图从其它学科领域,各个不同角度去探索能更客观反映各物种在系统发生上关系的新分类法。迄今,精确定性的生化分类、免疫分类和以群体力对象的定量的数量分类等已倪露头角,从而为以形态描述为主的经典生物分类学注入了新的活力。 本文试图通过对白蚁肠道鞭毛虫群落及种群的研究而借以探讨其在宿主白蚁系统分类研究中的潜在意义。     

重庆地区中华蟾蜍指名亚种肠道内三种异养鞭毛虫的研究

采用Giemsa染色及活体观察方法,显示并描述了采自重庆北碚地区中华蟾蜍指名亚种Bufo gargarizans gargarizans肠道内的卵形后线虫Metanema ovula sp.nov.,切断沟滴虫Petalomonas abscissa(Dujardin,1841)Stein,1859和蛙毛线虫Trichomitus batrachorum(Perty,1852)等3种异养鞭毛虫的形态及其鞭毛、核器等结构的特征。     

异养硝化机理的研究进展

硝化作用是自然界氮素循环的一个重要环节。除了传统上的自养硝化细菌以外,至今为止已发现许多异养微生物可以进行硝化作用。异养硝化已成为环境领域的热点问题。简要的介绍了自然界中的异养硝化微生物的分布以及针对其生物多样性而建立的探测和分离方法。着重从异养硝化的关键酶,相关基因,电子传递及代谢途径这几个方面综述了异养硝化机理的研究进展。最后总结了目前在研究异养硝化机理过程中存在的问题,并对其今后进一步的研究方向做出了展望。     

长江口及东海春季底栖硅藻、原生动物和小型底栖生物的生态特点

利用Ludox-QPS方法并结合沉积环境因子的综合分析,研究了2011年4月采自长江口及东海10个站位以底栖硅藻、纤毛虫和异养小鞭毛虫为代表的微型底栖生物及小型底栖生物的组成、丰度和生物量、分布及生态特点。结果表明,底栖硅藻的丰度 (5.92 ? 104 ind/10 cm2) 和生物量 (83.29 ?g C/10 cm2) 远高于纤毛虫 (丰度为1036 ind/10 cm2,生物量为3.33 ?g C/10 cm2)、异养小鞭毛虫 (丰度为4451 ind/10 cm2,生物量为2.51 ?g C/10 cm2) 和小型底栖生物 (丰度为1947 ? 849 ind/10 cm2,生物量为49.01? 22.05 ?g C/10 cm2)。在鉴定出的11个小型底栖生物类群中,线虫占小型底栖生物总丰度的90%和总生物量的37%。底栖硅藻生物量在长江口及东海海域呈由近岸向外海逐渐降低的分布特点,而底栖纤毛虫、异养小鞭毛虫及小型底栖生物的分布则正相反。在垂直分布上,76%的硅藻和80%的线虫分布在0–2 cm沉积物表层,仅1%的硅藻和6%的线虫分布在5–8 cm分层。统计分析表明,底栖硅藻的现存量与沉积物中叶绿素a含量呈极显著的正相关,与底层水温度呈弱的正相关;该海域底栖原生动物和小型底栖生物的分布受多个因子而非单一环境因子的共同作用。对比分析表明,长江口及东海单位体积沉积物中的硅藻丰度较水体中的硅藻丰度高2个数量级,沉积物中相当部分的叶绿素a含量可能系底栖硅藻所贡献;表层8 cm沉积物中纤毛虫的丰度约是上层30 m水柱中纤毛虫丰度的30倍,生物量约是后者的40倍。尽管纤毛虫在生物量上远小于小型底栖生物,但其估算的生产力约是后者的3倍;而异养小鞭毛虫由于个体更小,其周转率可能较纤毛虫更高。长江口及东海陆架区原生动物和小型底栖生物的高现存量及生产力预示着其在该海域生态系统中的重要作用。     

两种异养性鞭毛虫实验种群数量动态的比较研究

1999年4－8月从武昌东湖PFU样本中分离纯化了两种异养性鞭毛虫,对四种不同浓度Ceraphyl培养液中的种群增长进行了比较研究,结果表明这两种异养性鞭毛虫种群的数量动态显著不同,聚滴虫在四种浓度Ceraphyl培养液中均呈逻辑斯谛增长;而舞行波豆虫在四种浓度Ceraphyl培养液中的增长曲线均为抛物线。拟合组建了种群增长方程,并论证了方程可信度及其参数的生态学意义。     

异养同化降解氯代烃的研究现状、微生物代谢特性及展望

氯代烃(Chlorinated hydrocarbons,CAHs)污染遍布全球,其三致效应和遗传毒性对人类健康和生态环境构成重大威胁。CAHs异养同化具有降解彻底、无二次污染和降解效率高的特点,全面认识CAHs异养同化过程,对于强化和应用异养同化降解,扩大CAHs的修复途径具有重要的推动作用。文中首先分析了微生物细胞异养同化降解CAHs主要方式,阐述了异养同化的两大优势;针对CAHs异养同化的研究现状进行了系统性的总结,明确了可发生异养同化作用的CAHs种类及特征;基于氯代烷烃、氯代烯烃和氯代芳烃分类,概述了异养同化微生物的主要菌属及代谢特征;针对典型氯代烃,系统分析了参与代谢过程关键酶及特征基因,归纳了异养同化代谢途径;最后,根据当前研究现状对异养同化研究存在的问题进行了综述并对未来的发展方向进行了展望。     

共生珊瑚异养营养研究进展

共生珊瑚的异养营养指有虫黄藻共生的珊瑚在同化作用过程中,除通过虫黄藻光合作用获取营养之外,还可以从外界环境中直接摄取现成的有机物,经消化吸收后转变为自身的组成物质或储存为能量.国内外异地养殖或繁育虫黄藻共生珊瑚的研究多集中在光照、水流、水质等条件对珊瑚生长的影响,对共生珊瑚异养营养需求与供应方面的关注较少.本文从共生珊瑚异养营养来源、影响共生珊瑚异养营养供应的因素以及研究手段等方面,对国内外研究进展进行了综述,探讨异养营养供应对共生珊瑚的意义.总的来说,目前共生珊瑚异养营养的研究尚处于起步阶段,不论是研究方法或者珊瑚选择摄食的内在机制,都需要深入探究.     

湖泊和地下水中异养细菌群落结构和生理特征的比较研究

对武汉东湖三个定点观测站和潜江市一深水机井中异养细菌群落的种群组成、对不同基质的反应、菌株和群落的生理特征和活力水平等方面比较研究结果表明:环境差异较小的东湖Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ站异养细菌群落间的差异亦较小,具有类似的结构特征和生理活力水平,对特定基质表现了相似的作用模式;地下水中的异养细菌群落在上述几方面均显示了明显的差别。此外,在异养细菌群落结构和功能研究方法上亦是有益的探讨。     

Pico- and Nanoplankton in Aquatic Ecosystems in the Valley of the Lakes and Great Lakes Depression (Mongolia)

The abundance and biomass of bacterioplankton, phototrophic picoplankton, and heterotrophic nanoflagellates has been determined in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs located in the Valley of the Lakes and Great Lakes Depression (Mongolia). The species richness of the heterotrophic flagellates and their consumption of bacteria are estimated. Pico- and nanoplankton are the most abundant in shallow mineral lakes Orog and Tatsyn and in the freshwater Durgun Reservoir. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates consume 26–92% (on average 66%) of the daily bacterioplankton production. Thus, flagellates are important in the transfer of bacterial carbon to the higher levels of planktonic trophic webs. A total of 30 species and their forms of heterotrophic flagellates from 14 large taxa are identified. The highest species diversity of these protists are found in the Durgun and Taishyr reservoirs.     

Molecular Comparisons of Freshwater and Marine Isolates of the Same Morphospecies of Heterotrophic Flagellates

Heterotrophic flagellates are key components of all ecosystems. Understanding the patterns of biodiversity of these organisms is thus particularly important. Here we analyzed the intraspecific diversity of 10 morphospecies of heterotrophic flagellates comprising representatives of the Apusozoa (2 morphospecies) and Kinetoplastea (8 morphospecies), all belonging to the most common flagellates with worldwide distribution. Most morphospecies showed a mixing of lineages isolated from diverse habitats, indicating that some lineages of these morphospecies had been able to colonize different habitats several times. Furthermore, our results revealed remarkable levels of genetic divergence within most of the morphospecies studied, underlining the difficulty of correctly determining species by means of morphology alone. Many cryptic or pseudocryptic species seem to occur. Our results revealed clear divergence between marine and freshwater lineages of the morphospecies Ancyromonas sigmoides, showing that freshwater lineages have not been able to colonize marine environments and marine lineages have not been able to colonize freshwater environments for a long time.     

Molecular comparisons of freshwater and marine isolates of the same morphospecies of heterotrophic flagellates

Heterotrophic flagellates are key components of all ecosystems. Understanding the patterns of biodiversity of these organisms is thus particularly important. Here we analyzed the intraspecific diversity of 10 morphospecies of heterotrophic flagellates comprising representatives of the Apusozoa (2 morphospecies) and Kinetoplastea (8 morphospecies), all belonging to the most common flagellates with worldwide distribution. Most morphospecies showed a mixing of lineages isolated from diverse habitats, indicating that some lineages of these morphospecies had been able to colonize different habitats several times. Furthermore, our results revealed remarkable levels of genetic divergence within most of the morphospecies studied, underlining the difficulty of correctly determining species by means of morphology alone. Many cryptic or pseudocryptic species seem to occur. Our results revealed clear divergence between marine and freshwater lineages of the morphospecies Ancyromonas sigmoides, showing that freshwater lineages have not been able to colonize marine environments and marine lineages have not been able to colonize freshwater environments for a long time.     

Tolerance of soil flagellates to increased NaCl levels

The ability of heterotrophic flagellates to survive and adapt to increasing salinities was investigated in this study. Whole soil samples were subjected to salinities corresponding to marine conditions and clonal cultures were used to perform growth and adaptation experiments at a wide range of different salinities (0-50 ppm). More morphotypes tolerant to elevated NaCl levels were found in road verge soil that was heavily exposed to de-icing salt than in less exposed soils, though there were fewer tolerant than intolerant morphotypes in all soils examined. Heterotrophic flagellates isolated on a freshwater medium from a non-exposed soil were unable to thrive at salinities above 15 ppt, and showed reduced growth rates even at low salt salinities (1-5 ppt). The findings suggest that heterotrophic soil flagellates are less tolerant to NaCl than their aquatic relatives, possibly due to their long evolutionary history in soil, and support the idea that identical morphospecies may differ considerably with respect to physiology     

Culturing Bias in Marine Heterotrophic Flagellates Analyzed Through Seawater Enrichment Incubations

The diversity of heterotrophic flagellates is generally based on cultivated strains, on which ultrastructural, physiological, and molecular studies have been performed. However, the relevance of these cultured strains as models of the dominant heterotrophic flagellates in the marine planktonic environment is unclear. In fact, molecular surveys typically recover novel eukaryotic lineages that have refused cultivation so far. This study was designed to directly address the culturing bias in planktonic marine heterotrophic flagellates. Several microcosms were established adding increasing amounts and sources of organic matter to a confined natural microbial community pre-filtered by 3 μm. Growth dynamics were followed by epifluorescence microscopy and showed the expected higher yield of bacteria and heterotrophic flagellates at increased organic matter additions. Moreover, protist diversity analyzed by molecular tools showed a clear substitution in the community, which differed more and more from the initial sample as the organic matter increased. Within this gradient, there was also an increase of sequences related to cultured organisms as well as a decrease in diversity. Culturing bias is partly explained by the use of organic matter in the isolation process, which drives a shift in the community to conditions closer to laboratory cultures. An intensive culturing effort using alternative isolation methods is necessary to allow the access to the missing heterotrophic flagellates that constitute the abundant and active taxa in marine systems.     

Ecology of planktonic heterotrophic flagellates. A review.

In aquatic environments heterotrophic flagellates are an important component within the microbial loop and the food web, owing to their involvement in the energy transfer and flux and as an intermediate link between bacteria and primary producers, and greater organisms, such as other protists and metazoan consumers. In the microbial loop heterotrophic flagellates highly contribute to fast biomass and nutrient recycling and to the production in aquatic environments. In fact, these protists consume efficiently viruses, bacteria, cyanobacteria and picophytoplankton, and are grazed mainly by other protists, rotifers and small crustaceans. In this paper the knowledge about these unicellular organisms is reviewed, taking into particular account their ecological relationships and trophic role within the plankton community of marine and freshwater environments.     

Abundance and Biomass of Heterotrophic Flagellates, and Factors Controlling Their Abundance and Distribution in Sediments of Botany Bay

The abundance and biomass of heterotrophic flagellates were estimated monthly in sediments of Botany Bay during March 1999-February 2000. The annual abundance and biomass were in the ranges of 0.46-4.70 x 10(5) cells/cm(3) and of 0.30-8.61 micro g C/cm(3), respectively. The majority of heterotrophic flagellates (93-100%) were less than 10 mm in length and few flagellates were larger than 10 mm. Of the total microbial carbon biomass, heterotrophic flagellates made up about 5% (but at times up to 35%). The contribution of heterotrophic flagellates varied from month to month, and among the sites. The abundance of heterotrophic flagellates was negatively correlated with sediment grain size and positively correlated with the abundance of bacteria, algae (autotrophic flagellates and diatoms), and their probable grazers. A best subsets regression analysis showed that bacterial and algal abundance are the most important factors controlling the abundance of heterotrophic flagellates. When the previously reported grazing rates on bacteria were applied, heterotrophic flagellates would consume a maximum of 64% of bacterial standing stock daily in Botany Bay, suggesting that heterotrophic flagellates are important as bacterivores. However, the importance of heterotrophic flagellate grazing probably varies significantly among the sites and from month to month.