Ultrastructure of the flagellate Cruzella marina (Kinetoplastidea)

The ultrastructure of a marine, free-living heterotrophic kinetoplastid Cruzella marina was investigated with special attention being paid to the mitochondrion and flagellar organization. The flagellates have a polykinetoplastidal mitochondrion. Two flagella emerge from the pocket; one of these turns anteriorly being forward-directed, while the other is posteriorly directed to be adjacent to the ventral cell surface. The transition zone of both the flagella includes central filaments. The cytostome opens on the tip of the rostrum. The cytostome leads to the channel of cytopharynx, which penetrates the rostrum and proceeds into the flagellate body cytoplasm. The comparison of the relevant morphological and molecular data suggest that C. marina may arise early in the Kinetoplastidea lineage, before divergence of the majority taxa of the kinetoplastid flagellates.