Frontoventral Row Research Articles

Morphology, ontogenetic features and SSU rRNA gene-based phylogeny of a soil ciliate, Bistichella cystiformans spec. nov. (Protista, Ciliophora, Stichotrichia).

The morphology, ontogeny and SSU rRNA gene-based phylogeny of Bistichella cystiformans spec. nov., isolated from the slightly saline soil of a mangrove wetland in Zhanjiang, southern China, were investigated. The novel species was characterized by having five to eight buccal cirri arranged in a row, three to five transverse cirri, four macronuclear nodules aligned, and 17-32 and 20-34 cirri in frontoventral rows V and VI, respectively, both extending to the transverse cirri. The main ontogenetic features of the novel species were as follows: (1) the parental adoral zone of the membranelles is completely inherited by the proter; (2) the frontoventral and transverse cirri are formed in a six-anlagen mode; (3) basically, the frontal-ventral-transverse cirral anlagen II-V generate one transverse cirrus each at their posterior ends, while anlage VI provides no transverse cirrus; (4) both marginal rows and dorsal kineties develop intrakinetally, no dorsal kinety fragment is formed; and (5) the macronuclear nodules fuse into a single mass at the middle stage. Phylogenetic analyses based on the SSU rRNA gene showed that the novel species groups with the clade containing Bistichella variabilis, Parabistichella variabilis, Uroleptoides magnigranulosus and two species of the genus Orthoamphisiella. Given present knowledge, it was considered to be still too early to come to a final conclusion regarding the familial classification of the genus Bistichella; further investigations of key taxa with additional molecular markers are required.

Taxonomy and phylogeny of two species of the genus Deviata (Protista, Ciliophora) from China, with description of a new soil form, Deviata parabacilliformis sp. nov.

The morphology and morphogenesis of a soil hypotrichous ciliate, Deviata parabacilliformis sp. nov., isolated from northern China, were investigated. D. parabacilliformis measures about 75-210 × 25-60 µm in vivo, with an elongate and flexible body. It possesses one right marginal row, two to four left marginal rows and three dorsal kineties. The main morphogenetic features of D. parabacilliformis are: (i) the oral primordium originates de novo; (ii) anlage IV of the opisthe originates from parental frontoventral row V, anlage V originates de novo, and anlage VI forms from frontoventral row VI; and (iii) anlage I of the proter originates from the anterior portion of the parental paroral, anlage II originates from the buccal cirrus, anlage III originates from the parabuccal cirri, anlage IV originates from parental frontoventral row IV and anlage V forms from the anterior of parental frontoventral row VI. The morphology of an edaphic population of another species of the genus Deviata, Deviata bacilliformis (Gelei 1954) Eigner 1995, was also investigated. This work also provides the first record of SSU rRNA gene sequences for species of the genus Deviata. Molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests that Deviata is not monophyletic, and its position is poorly resolved due to weak phylogenetic signal of the 18S marker in the Stichotrichida.

Molecular phylogeny and ontogeny of a new ciliate genus, Paracladotricha salina n. g., n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia).

A hypotrichous ciliate, Paracladotricha salina n. g., n. sp., was discovered in hypersaline waters (salinity about 80‰) from Qingdao, China. Its morphology and some major ontogenetic stages were studied and the phylogenetic position was estimated using standard methods. Paracladotricha salina is characterized by a flexible, more or less slender body (size 50–120 × 20–35 μm), a gonostomatid oral apparatus, one short and two long frontoventral rows, four macronuclear nodules, almost completely reduced dorsal kineties 1–3, and a loss of several parts of the ciliature, namely, the slightly shortened ciliary row of the adoral membranelles, the paroral, and the buccal, the postoral and pretransverse ventral, the transverse, and the caudal cirri. The ontogenesis is rather simple: anlage II of both filial products and anlage III of the opisthe originate de novo, while anlagen IV and V are formed within the parental rows. This combination of features requires the establishment of a new genus, Paracladotricha, which is, according to the morphological data, closely related to Schmidingerothrix and Cladotricha. The small-subunit rRNA gene was sequenced, indicating that P. salina is, as also demonstrated by the oral apparatus, a member of the gonostomatids. We provide a first, vague hypothesis about the phylogenetic relationships of the Gonostomatidae, Cladotrichidae, and Schmidingerotrichidae. However, since molecular data of the type species of these higher taxa are lacking, their validity and relationships remain obscure.

Morphology, Morphogenesis, and Molecular Phylogeny of Paraparentocirrus sibillinensis n. gen., n. sp., a “Stylonychine Oxytrichidae” (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) Without Transverse Cirri

A terrestrial oxytrichid ciliate Paraparentocirrus sibillinensis n. gen., n. sp., which was found in soil samples of a beech forest stand within the National Park of Sibillini Mountains, Italy, was investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. The morphology of interphase, morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny inferred from SSU rDNA sequences of this ciliate were studied. Paraparentocirrus n. gen., is mainly characterized by a semirigid body, an undulating membrane in the Oxytricha pattern, six fronto-ventral (FV) rows, the absence of transverse cirri, one right and one left row of marginal cirri, four dorsal kineties, two dorsomarginal rows, and caudal cirri at the end of dorsal kinety 4. During morphogenesis, oral primordia develop through the proliferation of basal bodies from some cirri of FV rows 4 and 5, and FV row 6 takes part in the anlagen formation of the proter. The dorsal morphogenesis was typical of oxytrichids, with simple fragmentation of dorsal kinety 3, and the dorsomarginal rows developed from the right marginal row. Phylogenetic analyses based on the SSU rDNA sequences support the classification of this new genus in the stylonychines.

New Records of Two Stichotrichid Ciliates, Afroamphisiella multinucleata and Pseudokahliella marina (Ciliophora: Spirotrichea: Stichotrichida) from Korea

Two stichotrichid ciliates, collected from marine waters in Jeju Island, were identified as Afroamphisiella multinucleata Foissner et al., 2002 and Pseudokahliella marina (Foissner et al., 1982) Berger et al., 1985. They are recorded for the first time in Korea. The descriptions are based on examinations of living as well as protargol-impregnated specimens. These species are characterized as follows. Afroamphisiella multinucleata has a body size in vivo of <TEX>$70-95{\times}20-35{\mu}m$</TEX>; elongate rectangular in shape; contractile vacuole located slightly above mid-body. The adoral zone is bipartited into 3 distal and 13-17 proximal membranelles and occupies 28-35% of the body length. The frontal row comprises 1-4 cirri and one buccal cirrus. The amphisiellid median cirral row is composed of 14-21 cirri, 10-19 left marginal cirri, and 21-30 right marginal cirri. Cortical granules are yellowish. 11-20 globular/ellipsoidal macronuclear nodules arrange proximally along the cell margins. Pseudokahliella marina has a body size in vivo of <TEX>$110-195{\times}40-110{\mu}m$</TEX> and broadly elliptical in shape. The adoral zone of the membranelles occupies 50-60% of the body length, and is composed of 41-70 membranelles. A prominent frontal scutum is present. The contractile vacuole is located below the mid-body. There are 11-13 frontoventral rows, including marginal rows. Caudal cirri and transverse cirri are absent. Three invariable non-fragmented bipolar dorsal kineties are present. The left and right marginal rows are composed of 22-35 and 28-40 cirri, respectively. Colourless cortical granules are present. 8-11 spherical/ellipsoidal macronuclear nodules are connected with each other by thread-like tructures, forming an inverted C-shape.

Morphology, ontogeny, and molecular phylogeny of two novel bakuellid-like hypotrichs (Ciliophora: Hypotrichia), with establishment of two new genera

The morphology, ontogeny and molecular phylogeny of Apobakuella fusca gen. n., sp. n. and Parabistichella variabilis gen. n., sp. n., from south China were investigated. Apobakuella fusca, brown colored, demonstrates bakuellid-like infraciliature, and a similar ontogenesis as the genus Bakuella. It is argued, however, that this species represents a novel genus, Apobakuella, which is characterized by two or more marginal rows on the right, several buccal and parabuccal cirri, and lack of frontoterminal and caudal cirri. Phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rRNA gene sequences supports the close relationship of Apobakuella with Neobakuella and Diaxonella within the core Urostylida. By contrast, Parabistichella variabilis has a dominant frontoventral row, few midventral pairs, a long midventral row, and one marginal row on each side. Its morphogenesis exhibits: (1) partial reorganization of the parental adoral membranelles; (2) over six frontoventral-transverse cirri anlagen; (3) intrakinetal development of the midventral row; and (4) very likely, formation of the frontoventral row from the midventral row anlage. Both the morphological characteristics and the SSU rRNA gene sequences suggest that it is incertae sedis among the basal hypotrichs. Further investigation of key taxa with additional molecular markers is required to reveal a better understanding on the phylogeny of Parabistichella.

Redescription of the morphology and divisional morphogenesis of the marine hypotrich Pseudokahliella marina (Foissner et al., 1982) from scallop-culture water of North China

The morphology and morphogenesis of two populations of the marine hypotrich Pseudokahliella marina collected from mollusc-culture waters off Qingdao, China, were investigated from live and protargol impregnated specimens. The Qingdao population of this species is morphologically identified by: size in vivo c .120-175 × 50-75 μm; adoral zone of membranelles about half to three-fifths of body length composed of 32-83 membranelles; undulating membrane comprising only one membrane; subpellicular granules arranged in lines on both ventral and dorsal sides; three well differentiated frontal cirri and seven to 10 fronto-ventral rows; generally one left and one right marginal rows (occasionally in some 'abnormal' cells with two left marginal rows); nine to 20 macronuclear nodules and three complete dorsal kineties. Since some morphogenetical stages were lacking in the original report, supplementary descriptions are here supplied, which reveal the following 'new' characteristics: 1) there is no differentiation of paroral and endoral membranes; 2) the generation of the dorsal kineties is of the 'onegroup- mode' deriving very possibly from a 'primary primordium' and 3) in 'abnormal' individuals with two left marginal rows, a new marginal row anlage was generated from each parental structure.

Stone &amp; Webster and JGC win Chinese cracking plant engineering contract

Two novel hypotrichous ciliates, Pseudogastrostyla flava n. g., n. sp. and Urosomoida subtropica n. sp., isolated from Daya Bay Mangrove Park, Huizhou, southern China, were observed in vivo and after protargol staining. Pseudogastrostyla n. g. is diagnosed by having more than 18 frontal-ventral-transverse cirri, an indistinct frontoventral row, undulating membranes in Oxytricha-pattern and dorsomarginal kinety, but lacking dorsal kinety fragmentation during morphogenesis. The monotypic species, P. flava n. sp., is characterized by its brownish body colour, brown-yellowish cortical granules mostly arranged in groups, frontoventral row terminating near mid-body, and one caudal cirrus. Urosomoida subtropica n. sp. can be recognized by having one micronucleus located between two macronuclear nodules, four transverse cirri, pretransverse ventral cirrus (V/2) anteriorly located, four dorsal kineties and three caudal cirri. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rRNA gene sequence data indicate that Pseudogastrostyla n. g. is nested within the oxytrichids and is most closely related to Rubrioxytricha ferruginea, and that Urosomoida subtropica n. sp. clusters with Oxytricha elegans rather than the type species, U. agilis. Nodal support values are, however, too low to draw any conclusions about the molecular systematics of the genus Urosomoida.