Soil Ciliate Research Articles

Soil water content drives the spatiotemporal the distribution and community assembly of soil ciliates in the Nianchu River Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China.

Ciliated protozoa (ciliates) are an ecologically important group of microeukaryotes that play roles in the flow of energy and nutrients in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The community distribution and diversity of soil ciliates in the Nianchu River Basin were investigated by sampling four major habitats, i.e., grassland, farmland, wetland and sea buckthorn forest during May, August and October 2020. Cultivation identification and enumeration of soil ciliates were performed by the non-submerged culture method, in vivo observations and protargol silver staining, and direct counting methods, respectively. A total of 199 species were identified representing, 89 genera, 67 families, 31 orders and 11 classes. Haptorida was the dominant group with 35 species, accounting for 17.59% of the total. The results showed that the α and β diversity indices of soil ciliate communities in the Nianchu River Basin varied significantly in spatial distribution, but not in temporal distribution. Mantel test showed that soil water content, total nitrogen and organic matter were significantly correlated with soil ciliates. Soil water content was the main environmental factor driving the spatial distribution of soil ciliates. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that soil ciliate species in the Nianchu River Basin depend on each other in the relationship of solidarity and cooperation or ecological complementarity. Thus maintaining or enhancing the diversity and stability of the community. Community assembly shows that randomness process was an important ecological process driving soil ciliate community construction in the Nianchu River Basin.

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of soil ciliate communities in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River

Introduction: Soil ciliates, as protozoa, play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling and the soil food web, yet they are highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations in soil conditions. The diversity and biogeographic characteristics of soil ciliates in the Tibetan Plateau remain poorly understood. As part of a regional survey focused on soil ciliate diversity, we investigated the composition and spatiotemporal variations of soil ciliate communities along the Yarlung Zangbo River, a representative soil habitat in the Tibetan Plateau.Methods: A total of 290 soil samples were collected from four habitat types of grassland, shrubland, forestland and wetland in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River during the wet and dry seasons, and 138 species of ciliates were identified.Results: Soil ciliate diversity exhibited greater variation across habitat types than seasons. Moreover, soil ciliate diversity was higher during the wet season compared to the dry season, with the wetland habitat showing the highest diversity and the grassland habitat displaying the lowest. We observed spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the composition of soil ciliate communities across different seasons and habitat types. Notably, Litostomatea, Karyorelictea, and Prostomatea predominated in ciliate communities during the wet season and in grassland habitat. Phyllopharyngers dominated during dry seasons and in forested regions, while Spirotrichea species were prevalent in wetland and forested areas. The co-occurrence network analysis showed that soil ciliate community was more complex in wet season than in dry season, and the stability of soil ciliate community in wet season was higher than that in dry season. The stability of soil ciliate community in wetland was higher than that in forestland, shrubland and grassland, and the anti-interference ability was stronger. Soil temperature (ST), Total nitrogen (TN), Soil organic matter (SOM) and Soil water content (SWC) are important factors affecting the structure of soil ciliate community. By influencing the metabolic rate and nutrient acquisition of soil ciliates, the distribution pattern of soil ciliate community diversity in the middle reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River is shaped.Discussion: In summary, this study revealed the distribution pattern of soil ciliate community diversity in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, and the key factors affecting the spatial and temporal differences and stability of the community, enhancing our understanding of how ciliates adapt to environmental conditions in soil habitats across the Tibetan Plateau.

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of two hypotrichous ciliates (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea) from South Korea, including Hemiurosomoida koreana n. sp.

The living morphology, infraciliature, and molecular phylogeny of a new soil ciliate, Hemiurosomoida koreana n. sp., discovered in a sample collected from a mountain in the northeast of South Korea, were investigated. The new species possesses the characteristics of the genus Hemiurosomoida, i.e., a reduced number of frontal-ventral-transverse cirri, three dorsal kineties of which kineties 1 and 2 each bears a caudal cirrus, and a single dorsomarginal kinety. It is distinguishable from congeners and other similar species by at least one distinct qualitative or quantitative character including the body size, the presence and arrangement of cortical granules, the number of adoral membranelles, marginal cirri, and dorsal dikinetids, or by the arrangement of transverse cirri. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rRNA gene sequences also support the assignment of the new species to the non-monophyletic genus Hemiurosomoida. In addition, the living morphology, infraciliature, and the 18S rRNA gene sequence of a Korean population of Nothoholosticha flava were studied.

Soil Alveolata diversity in the undisturbed steppe and wheat agrocenoses under different tillage.

Microeukaryotes are vital for maintaining soil quality and ecosystem functioning, however, their communities are less studied than bacterial and fungal ones, especially by high throughput sequencing techniques. Alveolates are important members of soil microbial communities, being consumers and/or prey for other microorganisms. We studied alveolate diversity in soil under the undisturbed steppe (US) and cropped for wheat using two tillage practices (conventional, CT, and no-till, NT) by amplifying the ITS2 marker with ITS3_KYO2/ITS4 primers and sequencing amplicons using Illumina MiSeq. A total of 198 Alveolata OTUs were identified, with 158 OTUs attributed to the Ciliophora phylum, containing five classes: Litostomatea, Spirotrichea and Oligohymenophorea, Nassophorea and Phyllopharyngea. Litostomatea and Phyllopharyngea were more abundant in US as compared with CT and NT. The observed OTU richness was higher in US than in CT and NT. The β-biodiversity of soil ciliates also very distinctly differentiated the US field from CT and NT. In the US, Nassophorea and Spirotrichea correlated positively with sand and negatively with clay, silt and SOM contents. This is the first report about soil ciliates diversity in Siberia as assessed by metabarcoding technique. The revealed clear effect of land use on the relative abundance of some taxa and a lack of tillage effect suggest the importance of the quantity and quality of plant material input for shaping the prey for ciliates. The ITS-metabarcoding technique was used for the first time in the research of ciliates diversity; further studies, embracing diverse aspects of soil ciliates by combining -omics methodology with the traditional one, are needed to get a better insight on the ecological roles of the main ciliate taxa in the complex soil system.

Species-Abundance Distributions of Soil Ciliates on Different Aspects in Alpine Meadows of Gannan, China

Species-Abundance Distributions of Soil Ciliates on Different Aspects in Alpine Meadows of Gannan, China

Morphology and Morphogenetic description of a new soil ciliate species of Notohymena indica n.sp. from Rithala waste-water treatment plant (WWTP), Delhi, India

Morphology and Morphogenetic description of a new soil ciliate species of Notohymena indica n.sp. from Rithala waste-water treatment plant (WWTP), Delhi, India

Strongylidium koreanum n. sp. (Protozoa: Ciliophora), a new soil species from South Korea.

Strongylidium koreanum n. sp., a new soil ciliate from Jeju Island, South Korea, is described based on live observations, protargol impregnation, and molecular analysis of the 18S rRNA gene sequence. It is characterized by the following morphological features: cell outline more or less fusiform, posterior end broader than anterior end; grayish under low magnification; cortical granules absent; 23-32 adoral membranelles; three enlarged frontal cirri; buccal cirrus and postoral ventral cirrus present; 27-42 left and 15-28 right ventral cirri; 23-36 left and 30-46 right marginal cirri; three dorsal kineties; three caudal cirri; and two macronuclear nodules with two or three micronuclei. Phylogenetic analyses show that Strongylidium is monophyletic.

Community structure and diversity of epibenthic soil ciliates in a mangrove ecosystem on the southern coast of India

Marine biology,marine ecology,Phytoplankton, marine algae, zooplankton, nekton, benthos, corals and coral reefs, ecology, zoogeography and systematics, primary production and experimental work on ecosystem including energy flow at different trophic levels, population dynamics and theoretical models, recycling of matter, influence of environmental factors on metabolic activity, marine microbiology, mariculture and experimental work on propagation of cultivable species, biology of fishes, marine reptiles, sea birds and mammals, physical, chemical, geological and meteorological features of the environments related to marine biology, marine environmental damage caused by pollution and engineering works, underwater observations, conservation of living resources, modifications in methodology and techniques and development of new apparatus related to marine sciences

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of Keronopsis koreana n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotricha), a new soil species from South Korea

The morphology and molecular phylogeny of a new soil ciliate, Keronopsis koreana n. sp., which was discovered in soil from Jindo-gun, South Korea, were investigated. The new species is characterized by the following morphological features: cell more or less ellipsoid or ovoid, both ends broadly rounded; cortical granules irregularly distributed, colorless, 1 µm across; 35–54 adoral membranelles; 12–23 cirri in frontal corona; two frontal and two frontoventral cirral rows; two or three buccal cirri; 23–38 left and 22–37 right marginal cirri; three bipolar dorsal kineties; and two macronuclear nodules and three to five micronuclei. Phylogenetic analyses show that Keronopsis koreana n. sp. is placed within a clade containing K. helluo (type species of Keronopsis) and species belonging to Paraholosticha, Uroleptoides, Parabistichella, Orthoamphisiella, Lamtostyla, and Bistichella in non-dorsomarginalian hypotrichs. Also, the sequences belonging to the Keronopsidae did not cluster together. In addition, a new combination is provided: Parabistichella tasmaniensis (Blatterer and Foissner, 1988) n. comb. (original combination: Keronopsis tasmaniensis).

Morphology, morphogenesis and phylogeny of a new soil ciliate, Bistichella sinensis n. sp., and morphology of two oxytrichids (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia)

The living morphology, infraciliature, morphogenesis and phylogenetic position of a new soil ciliate, Bistichella sinensis n. sp. collected from Northwest of China, were investigated. The new species is characterized by an elongate-oval body, two macronuclear nodules, colourless cortical granules, three frontal and three or four buccal cirri, three frontal rows with 7–10 cirri in total, and usually-two frontoventral rows with the left one usually terminating at 90% down length of body. The main morphogenetic features of the novel species are as follows: (1) the posterior part of the parental adoral zone is renewed; (2) frontal-ventral cirral anlagen III to V each forms a frontal row, and anlagen VI to n each produces a frontoventral row; (3) marginal rows and dorsal kineties develop intrakinetally. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit ribosomal DNA reveal close relationship between Bistichella sinensis n. sp., Parabistichella, Uroleptoides, Lamtostyla, Keronopsis, Paraholosticha and Orthoamphisiella. The in vivo morphology and the infraciliature of the Chinese populations of Monomicrocaryon euglenivorum fimbricirratum and Laurentiella strenua are basically identical to previous descriptions. Improved diagnoses for M. euglenivorum and its two subspecies, as well as a redescription of a Chinese population of L. strenua are supplied.

西藏年楚河流域湿地土壤纤毛虫群落特征

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 西藏年楚河流域湿地土壤纤毛虫群落特征 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202203290781 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: “一江四河”流域生物多样性调研与维持机制评价综合科学考察项目（藏财科教指【2021】1号和藏财教指【2019】01号）；西藏大学研究生"高水平人才培养计划"项目资助（2020-GSP-S042） Characteristics of soil ciliate community in wetland of the Nianchu River Basin, Tibet, China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:为了研究西藏年楚河流域湿地土壤纤毛虫群落特征及其影响因素，于2020年5月、8月和10月春夏秋三个季节，根据年楚河流域湿地分布特征选取了5个湿地样地共计75个土壤样品，采用"非淹没培养皿法"和"活体观察法"对土壤纤毛虫进行了培养和鉴定，共鉴定出土壤纤毛虫154种，隶属于9纲、19目、43科、70属。结果表明土壤纤毛虫优势类群为前管目（Prorodontida），占11.69%；刺钩目（Haptorida）为次优势类群，占11.04%；罕见类群为游仆虫目（Euplotidae）、瓶纤目（Armophorida）、肾形目（Colpodida）、嗜污目（Philaslasterida）、齿管目（Chlamydodontida）和吸管目（Succorida），共占16.23%。湿地土壤纤毛虫多样性指数在三个季节间均无显著性差异（P>0.05），SD4样地的多样性指数在5个样地中最高；湿地土壤纤毛虫C/P（0.35）<1，表明其土壤环境未污染；土壤纤毛虫群落相似性位于极不相似到中等不相似之间，说明不同样地的物种组成差异性较大；土壤含水量（SWC）、土壤温度（ST）和速效钾（RAK）是影响土壤纤毛虫群落分布的因素。 Abstract:In order to study the characteristics of soil ciliate community and influencing factors in wetland of the Nianchu River Basin, Tibet, China. In May, August and October of 2020, i.e spring summer and autumn three seasons, 75 soil samples from five plots were selected based on the distribution of wetland in the Nianchu River Basin, A total of 154 species of soil ciliates, belonging to 70 genera, 43 families,19 orders and 9 classes, were identified by "non-flooded petri dish method" and "in vivo observation method". The results showed that Prorodontida (11.69%) was the dominant group, Haptorida (11.04%) was the subdominant group, and rare taxa were Euplotidae, Armophorida, Colpodida, Philaslasterida, Chlamydodontida and Succorida, accounting for 16.23% of the total. There was no significant difference in soil ciliate diversity index between the three seasons (P>0.05) in wetland, and the diversity index of the SD4 was the highest among the five plots. The soil ciliates(C/P(0.35)<1), indicating that the soil environment in wetland was not polluted. The similarity of soil ciliate communities ranged from extremely dissimilar to moderately dissimilar, showed that species had great differences in different sites. Soil water content (SWC), soil temperature (ST) and available potassium (RAK) were the main factors affecting soil ciliate community distribution. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Effects of Copper and the Insecticide Cypermethrin on a Soil Ciliate (Protozoa: Ciliophora) Community

Ciliated protozoa play important ecological roles in soils, yet few studies have investigated the effect of soil pollution on them. We determined the effect of copper (Cu) and cypermethrin on a soil ciliate community under microcosm conditions. Soils were treated with Cu or cypermethrin and the abundance and species richness of ciliates determined 15 days later. Cu treatment increased soil ciliates abundance at the highest concentration (960 mg kg-1), as did cypermethrin at a treatment of 160 mg kg-1. No negative effect on ciliate abundance was found for either substance due to increased numbers of tolerant species, particularly Homalogastra setosa and Chilodonella uncinata in the case of Cu and Colpoda stenii and Colpoda inflata for cypermethrin treatments. However, several species were absent at high treatment levels. Notably, Halteria grandinella was not found in Cu treatments above 240 mg kg-1, whilst Oxytricha setigera was not found in cypermethrin treatments above 160 mg kg-1. For Homalogastra setosa, there was an initial positive response to cypermethrin, but abundance then decreased at a treatment of 320 mg kg-1, and treatment at 640 mg kg-1 eradicated the species from the microcosms. Accordingly, both substances affected the structure of the soil ciliate community at high concentrations.

Use of ciliate communities for monitoring ecological restoration of grain for the green in north-western China

A 1-year baseline survey was conducted in north-western China to evaluate the ecological restoration quality of grain for green (GFG) using soil ciliate communities. The aims of this study were focused on analyzing the changes of soil ciliate communities in four plots (A, GFG for 15 years; B, GFG for 13 years; C, layland; D, cultivated land) for GFG environmental assessment. Simultaneously we studied the effects of vegetation communities and physical-chemical variables with GFG changes on soil ciliates. A total of 114 species of ciliates were identified among the four sample sites, representing 9 classes, 14 orders, 22 families and 37 genera. The community patterns of the soil ciliates were significantly correlated with the individual abundance of aboveground plants, soil water content, and soil porosity. The contents of total nitrogen were the main factor affecting the soil ciliate community composition. The species number, individual abundance, and diversity index of the ciliates were each in the order A>B>C>D; that is, the community composition of ciliates was complicated with the implementation of the GFG. It was shown that the succession of ciliate community shifts toward promoting the complexity with the progress of GFG. These findings demonstrate that soil ciliate communities may be used as a useful indicator to evaluate the effects of the ecological restoration quality of GFG.

Redescription of two soil ciliates, Anteholosticha bergeri and Bakuella granulifera, from South Korea

Redescription of two soil ciliates, Anteholosticha bergeri and Bakuella granulifera, from South Korea

Susceptibility and resilience of the soil ciliate community to high temperatures

ABSTRACT Ciliates play important ecological roles as microbial predators in soil. Although arable soils can experience a wide range of temperatures caused by agricultural land management, the effect of temperature on soil ciliates has been poorly documented, particularly for high temperatures over 30°C. Here, we studied the response of the soil ciliate community to different temperatures in comparison with that of the bacterial and fungal communities. Soils collected from a greenhouse were supplemented with organic fertilizer and incubated at different temperatures (10–60°C). Ciliate trophozoites were detected in the pore water of the soils incubated at 20°C and 10°C, while no trophozoites were observed at temperatures of 30°C and higher. The diversity of the ciliate community represented by fingerprints of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) also decreased at temperatures higher than 20°C. A few DGGE bands were exclusively dominated at 40°C. The ciliate community composition in the soil incubated at 40°C recovered after subsequent incubation at 20°C, suggesting the resilience of the ciliate community to heat stress. Such recovery was not observed in the soil incubated at 60°C, probably because of the lethal effect on most soil ciliates. The responses of the ciliate community to temperature were similar to those of the fungal community, while the bacterial community showed higher resistance and resilience than the ciliate and fungal communities. The results suggested that temperature is an important factor controlling the ciliate community and affects the structure and functions of the soil microbial food web.

The insights into the systematic relationship of Gastrostyla-affinitive genera, with report on a new saline soil ciliate genus and new species (Protozoa, Ciliophora)

BackgroundHypotrichia are a group with the most complex morphology and morphogenesis within the ciliated protists. The classification of Gastrostyla-like species, a taxonomically difficult group of hypotrichs with a common ventral cirral pattern but various dorsal and ontogenetic patterns, is poorly understood. Hence, systematic relationships within this group and with other taxa in the subclass Hypotrichia remain unresolved.Results18S rRNA gene sequence of a new Gastrostyla-like taxon was obtained. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S rRNA gene sequences indicate that this ciliate represents a new genus that is closely related to Heterourosomoida and Kleinstyla within the oxytrichid clade of the Hypotrichia. However, the position of this cluster remains unresolved. All three genera deviate from the typical oxytrichids by their incomplete (or lack of) dorsal kinety fragmentation during morphogenesis. Morphology and morphogenesis of this newly discovered form, Heterogastrostyla salina nov. gen., nov. spec., are described. Heterogastrostyla nov. gen., is characterised as follows: more than 18 fronto-ventral-transverse cirri, cirral anlagen V and VI develop pretransverse cirri, and dorsal ciliature in Urosomoida-like pattern.ConclusionsSimilar to the CEUU-hypothesis about convergent evolution of urostylids and uroleptids, we speculate that the shared ventral cirral patterns of Gastrostyla-like taxa might have resulted from convergent evolution.

First Records of ‘Flagship’ Soil Ciliates in North America

'Flagship' ciliates were investigated from soil samples collected in Florida, USA. This was undertaken to determine if species thought to be restricted to a given world region could be uncovered from similar habitats in a novel location, e.g. another continent. Two species of Condylostomides were discovered, and recorded from the North American continent for the first time. Condylostomides etoschensis was known only from Africa, but was found to be thriving in a Florida study site. An 18S rDNA sequence for this species was determined for the first time. Also discovered from the same study site was the ciliate Condylostomides coeruleus, previously known only from Central and South America. These two 'flagship' ciliates were found in the same habitat, from a continent well outside of their previously recorded biogeographies. Molecular sequencing and microscopy investigations were conducted to form the baseline for future work within this genus. Soil ciliates can obtain large population numbers and form cysts and are therefore likely able to disperse globally. These new records provide additional evidence that large distances, even between continents, do not hinder microbes from thriving globally. The absence of these conspicuously-colored gold and blue ciliates from previous studies is likely due to undersampling, rather than to any physical barriers.

Comparison of the morphology and viability of gamma irradiated vegetative cells, wet cysts, and dry cysts of the soil ciliate Colpoda cucullus

Comparison of the morphology and viability of gamma irradiated vegetative cells, wet cysts, and dry cysts of the soil ciliate <i>Colpoda cucullus</i>

Antifreeze Water-Rich Dormant Cysts of the Terrestrial Ciliate Colpoda cucullus Nag-1 at −65 ℃: Possible Involvement of Ultra-Antifreeze Polysaccharides

We found that the water-rich (osmolality below 0.052 Osm/l) wet resting cysts of the soil ciliate Colpoda cucullus Nag-1 were tolerant to extremely low temperature (−65℃). When cell fluid obtained from the resting cysts was cooled at −65℃, small particles of ice crystals did not grow into large ice crystals. At −65℃, the cysts shrank due to an outflow of water, because a vapor pressure difference was produced between the cell interior and freezing surrounding medium. The osmolality of these shrunk cells was estimated 0.55 Osm/l, and the freezing point depression of the shrunk cell fluid was estimated to be 1.02℃. Hence, the antifreeze ability of wet cysts at −65℃can not be explained by freezing point depression due to elevation of cytoplasmic osmolality. The cytoplasm of resting cysts was vividly stained red with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and stained purple with toluidine blue. On the other hand, the excystment-induced cysts were not stained with PAS, and exhibited a loss of the antifreeze activity. PAS staining of SDSPAGE gel obtained from encysting Colpoda cells showed that a large amount of PAS-positive macromolecules accumulated as the encystment stage progressed. These results suggest that antifreeze polysaccharides may be involved in the antifreeze activity of C. cucullus Nag-1 dormant forms.

Morphology, morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of a soil ciliate, Gonostomum kuehnelti Foissner, 1987 (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia), from northwestern China

ABSTRACTThe morphology and morphogenesis of the hypotrichous soil ciliate Gonostomum kuehnelti Foissner, 1987, isolated from northwestern China, was investigated based on observations of live and protargol-stained specimens. Photomicrographs and some detailed morphological information, e.g. cortical granules and the number of dorsal kineties, are provided in this study. The morphogenesis of our population agrees in most details with that of the type population. The main events during binary fission are as follows: (1) the parental adoral zone of membranelles is retained completely; (2) six streaks of the undulating membranes and cirral anlagen are segmented in a 1: 2: 2: 2: 4: 4 pattern from left to right, and form three frontal, two frontoventral, one buccal, two frontoterminal, three postoral ventral, two pretransverse ventral, and two transverse cirri, respectively; and (3) the marginal rows and dorsal kineties develop intrakinetally. In addition, the SSU rDNA sequence of G. kuehnelti is provided. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences show that the genus Gonostomum is non-monophyletic and G. kuehnelti is placed within the core clade of Gonostomum.