Transverse Cirri Research Articles

Phacoemulsification versus laser iridotomy in primary angle closure glaucoma. A difficult decision

We demonstrate the viability of using a convolutional neural network (CNN) for facial recognition of meteorological phenomena in satellite imagery. Transfer learning was used to fine tune the widely used VGG-16 network architecture and allow the network to successfully detect (94% accuracy) the presence of transverse cirrus bands (TCBs) in NASA MODIS and VIIRS satellite browse imagery. The CNN exhibited better performance compared to a random forest classifier (84% accuracy) and was further validated by applying it to NASA satellite browse imagery in order to create a multi-year (2013–2015) global heat map of TCB occurrence. The annual heat map shows spatial patterns that are consistent with known mechanisms for the generation of TCBs, providing confidence in the CNN classifications. Our study shows that CNNs are well suited for meteorological phenomena detection due to their generalization capabilities and strong performance. An immediate application of our work intends to enable phenomena-based search of big satellite imagery databases. With additional modifications, the CNN could be utilized for other applications such as providing situational awareness to operational forecasters or developing phenomena specific climatologies.

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of a New Hypotrich Ciliate, Pseudourostyla guizhouensis sp. nov. from Southern China, with Notes on a Chinese Population of Hemicycliostyla franzi (Foissner, 1987) Paiva etal., 2012 (Ciliophora, Hypotricha).

The morphology and molecular phylogeny of a soil hypotrich ciliate, Pseudourostyla guizhouensis sp. nov., collected from southern China, were investigated. Pseudourostyla guizhouensis sp. nov. has an elongate elliptical body measuring 180-310×65-85μm invivo; invariably two right and three or four left marginal rows; six or seven dorsal kineties; adoral zone consisting of 57-70 membranelles; 12-16 frontal cirri, one buccal cirrus, 13-20 midventral pairs, two frontoterminal cirri, two pretransverse cirri, and five to seven transverse cirri. Morphogenesis during physiological regeneration indicates that the marginal rows of each side originate from a common anlage that differentiates into several rows. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rDNA sequence data reveals that P.guizhouensis sp. nov. clusters with the type species P.cristata (Jerka-Dziadosz, 1964) Borror, 1972 and that the genus Pseudourostyla is monophyletic. The morphological characters of another soil hypotrich ciliate, Hemicycliostyla franzi (Foissner, 1987) Paiva etal., 2012, are also described based on a Chinese (Guizhou) population.

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of Two New Ciliates, Holostichides heterotypicus n. sp. and Holosticha muuiensis n. sp. (Ciliophora: Urostylida).

Two new urostylid species, Holostichides heterotypicus n. sp. and Holosticha muuiensis n. sp., were discovered in South Korea. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses were carried out to confirm that these species are new to science. Holostichides heterotypicus is mainly characterized by the following combination of features: 110-205μm long invivo; 5-10 frontoterminal cirri; 6-8 midventral pairs with 2-3 midventral cirral rows; cortical granules present; four bipolar dorsal kineties; and 6-9 caudal cirri. Ontogenetic features of H.heterotypicus are similar to those of H.typicus. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that H.heterotypicus was distantly separated from bakuellid genera Apobakuella, Bakuella, Metaurostylopsis, and Neobakuella. This result is supported by the following features: transverse cirri (present in the other four bakuellids vs. absent in Holostichides) and caudal cirri (absent in the other four bakuellids vs. present in Holostichides). Holosticha muuiensis n. sp. is mainly distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of features: 100-185 long invivo; shortened undulating membrane; cortical granules lacking; contractile vacuole absent; 51-66 adoral zone of membranelles; 42-60 macronuclear nodules; and five bipolar dorsal kineties. In the phylogenetic tree, Holosticha muuiensis n. sp. clustered with a Holosticha group (containing Holosticha diademata, Holosticha foissneri, and Holosticha heterofoissneri).

Redescription of Keronopsis helluo Penard, 1922 from Antarctica and Paraholosticha pannonica Gellért and Tamás, 1959 from Alaska (Ciliophora, Hypotricha)

The morphology of Keronopsis helluo Penard, 1922, type species of Keronopsis, and Paraholosticha pannonica Gellért and Tamás, 1959, two little-known members of the Keronopsidae Jankowski, 1979, was described using standard methods. In addition, we sequenced the SSU rRNA of both species. Keronopsis helluo was isolated from a mossy soil from Robert Island (Antarctica) while P. pannonica was found in terrestrial moss from Alaska. Our data correspond very well with the original descriptions. The frontal ciliature of K. helluo is identical with that of Paraholosticha spp., indicating that some Keronopsis species (K. tasmaniensis, K. dieckmanni) are misclassified in the keronopsids. The type species has distinctly more transverse cirri (8–13) than K. wetzeli (1–3), type species of Parakeronopsis, which is thus perhaps a valid genus or subgenus. The phylogenetic analyses confirm the position of the keronopsids outside the Dorsomarginalia. The species sequenced so far (K. helluo, Paraholosticha muscicola, P. pannonica) emerge from a soft polytomy, which also comprises Bistichella-like species and a large cluster composed of amphisiellids, trachelostylids, and gonostomatids, that is, the method failed to resolve the relationships within the keronopsids. The Keronopsidae and the two species studied are characterized based on previous studies and our data.

Description and Molecular Phylogeny of a Novel Hypotrich Ciliate from the Soil of Marche Region, Italy; Including Notes on the MOSYSS Project.

The morphology and morphogenesis during cell division of a new stylonychine hypotrich, Rigidocortex quadrinucleatus n. sp., were investigated using live observation and protargol staining. The new species was isolated from soil samples collected from an organic farm in the Marche Region, Italy, in framework of the MOSYSS project. Rigidocortex quadrinucleatus is characterized as follows: cell size about 180×80μm invivo; four ellipsoidal macronuclear nodules; 44 adoral membranelles: 18 fronto-ventral-transverse cirri consisting of three frontal, four frontoventral, one buccal, three ventral, two pretransverse, and five transverse cirri; dorsal kinety 3 with multiple fragmentation; resting cyst with hyaline ridges. Rigidocortex quadrinucleatus mainly differs from the type species R.octonucleatus in having four (vs. eight) macronuclear nodules. Rigidocortex quadrinucleatus can be easily confused with Sterkiella cavicola since both have a rather similar ventral ciliature; however, they can be separated by the slightly higher number of cirri in the left marginal row that runs along the posterior cell's margin in R.quadrinucleatus. Morphogenesis on the ventral surface is highly similar to that of Sterkiella species, but differs significantly on the dorsal surface (multiple vs. simple fragmentation of dorsal kinety 3). Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rRNA gene sequences consistently place the new species within the stylonychine oxytrichids, clustering closer to Gastrostyla steinii than to S.cavicola.

Morphology and Morphogenesis of a Novel Saline Soil Hypotrichous Ciliate, Gonostomum sinicum nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia, Gonostomatidae), Including a Report on the Small Subunit rDNA Sequence.

Morphology, cirral pattern, and morphogenesis of the new saline soil hypotrich, Gonostomum sinicum nov. spec. collected from Longfeng Wetland in Daqing, north China, were studied, using detailed live observations and protargol-stained specimens. The new species is characterized as follows: (i) a size invivo of 100-125×30-40μm, (ii) colorless cortical granules, 0.5μm across, arranged in short rows, (iii) an adoral zone composed of 28-33 membranelles, (iv) three or four frontoventral rows, one of which extends onto the postoral area, (v) left and right marginal rows composed of 18-27 and 21-35, cirri, respectively, and (vi) usually two transverse cirri. Morphogenesis is as usual for the genus Gonostomum, i.e. the cirral primordia II-VI are primary primordia which split into two sets for proter and opisthe in division middle stages, except for anlage I which develops independently. However, the number of frontoventral transverse anlagen is either five or six not only in different individuals but even in proter and opisthe of the same divider. The phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences showed that the genus Gonostomum is nonmonophyletic, indicating that the patterns of cirri and dorsal kineties are homoplasious characters. The new species G.sinicum nov. spec. is perhaps closely related to Cotterillia bromelicola and two congeners.

Cortical Localization of α- and γ-Tubulin and the Assembly of Cortical Microtubule Cytoskeleton in Hypotrichous Ciliate Euplotes eurystomus

This study aimed to investigate the assembly characteristics of ciliature and cortical microtubules and the localization of tubulins in different depths and regions of the cortex. The hypotrichous ciliates have closely arranged cilia and a highly complex microtubular system. Direct fluorescence and immunofluorescence labeling were used to observe ciliary organelles and cortical microtubular cytoskeleton in Euplotes eurystomus. An immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that α-tubulin localized to the ventral and dorsal ciliary organelles and their associated microtubules, while γ-tubulin localized to the basal bodies of ciliary organelles, macronuclear membrane, and excretory pore of a contractile vacuole in the interphase. A direct fluorescence analysis showed that the ciliature and cortical microtubules in the deep cortex were more clearly marked by fluorescent taxoid (FLUTAX). Interestingly, α- and γ-tubulins also colocalized to the ringlike ciliary base–associated microtubules of dorsal kineties. The short microtubular bundles between the bases of transverse cirri could be marked by FLUTAX and γ-tubulin rather than α-tubulin, suggesting that tubulins in cortical microtubules in E. eurystomus varied, and the differentiation of cortical microtubules in the hypotrichous ciliate tended to be versatile. Also, during morphogenesis, γ-tubulin also localized to the base of ciliary primordium, where new basal bodies were formed, suggesting that the endocellular position of γ-tubulin in ciliates was related to basal bodies and regulated by the cell cycle. This study might help understand the assembly characteristics and tubulin composition of microtubules in different depths and regions of the cortex in hypotrichous ciliate E. eurystomus.

A New Soil Ciliate, Birojimia soyaensis nov. spec. (Ciliophora: Urostylida)from South Korea

A new soil urostylid ciliate, Birojimia soyaensis nov. spec. was discovered from Soya Island, Incheon, South Korea. The species is described based on live and stained specimen observations, and 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis. Birojimia soyaensis nov. spec. is characterized by the following features: body slender, elongate, and somewhat twisted; body size in vivo 170–200 μm × 40–50 μm; contractile vacuole located at middle of left cell margin; cortical granules present; 37–48 adoral membranelles; 3 frontal and 2 frontoterminal cirri present; III/2 and buccal cirrus present; midventral pairs only; pretransverse ventral and transverse cirri present; 1 left and 4 right marginal rows, including 3 compound rows; 5 long dorsal kineties with 3 additional shortened kineties in anteriorly compound rows; 8–11 caudal cirri; 53–69 macronuclear nodules; and 2 or 3 micronuclei. Birojimia soyaensis nov. spec. is distinguished from B. terricola by cortical granule size (0.4–1.2 μm in diameter vs. 2–3 μm × 1–2 μm), cortical granule shape (mostly spherical vs. broadly ellipsoid to lenticular, respectively); number of caudal cirri (8–11 vs. 2–7), and number of dorsal bristle rows (8 vs. 6–7). Phylogenetic analysis suggests this new species is most closely related to the genus Hemicycliostyla.

Morphology and phylogeny of two new ciliates, Sterkiella sinica sp. nov. and Rubrioxytricha tsinlingensis sp. nov. (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) from north-west China

Two new hypotrichous ciliates, Sterkiella sinica sp. nov. and Rubrioxytricha tsinlingensis sp. nov., were isolated from two different locations in China (the former from the upper 10 cm of soil in the Sangke Grassland, southern Gansu Province and the latter from a freshwater pond in the northern part of the Tsinling Mountains, south-western Shaanxi Province). We describe their morphology, infraciliature, and molecular phylogeny. Compared with its congeners, S. sinica sp. nov. is characterized by an elongate oval to elliptical shape with the anterior end narrowly rounded and the posterior end broadly rounded, consistently 18 frontoventral transverse cirri, cirrus III/2 farther toward the anterior than cirrus IV/3 and closer to cirrus IV/3 than to paroral, cirrus V/3 closer to cirrus V/4 than cirrus V/2, cirrus V/2 closer to cirrus VI/2 than cirrus V/3, three caudal cirri narrowly separated and not elongated, and terrestrial habitat. Compared with its congeners, R. tsinlingensis sp. nov. is characterized by a length in vivo of 100–180 μm, yellow-brown in colour, two macronuclear nodules and two or three micronuclei, yellow-green cortical granules, marginal rows almost confluent posteriorly, six dorsal kineties and three caudal cirri, caudal cirri and dorsal bristles almost indistinguishable when viewed in vivo, and freshwater habitat. Phylogenetic analyses based on small-subunit rRNA sequences revealed S. sinica sp. nov. associates most closely with Sterkiella sp. JS-2012d although the genus Sterkiella is not monophyletic. Rubrioxytricha tsinlingensis sp. nov. and R. ferruginea cluster together within a clade that also includes R. haematoplasma, Ponturostyla enigmatica and Pseudocyrtohymena koreana.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:27060A1C-F0D4-4FB2-866A-66F939B12105

Morphology, morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of a novel saline soil ciliate, Lamtostyla salina n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotricha)

The morphology and morphogenesis of a new saline soil hypotrich, Lamtostyla salina n. sp., collected from Longfeng Wetland in Daqing, north China, were studied based on live observations and protargol stained specimens. The new species is characterized as follows: body very flexible but not contractile, lanceolate with anterior end broadly rounded, widest at about 1/3 of body length, posterior end narrowly rounded; cortical granules colourless and scattered; amphisiellid median cirral row ends ahead of mid-body, composed of 5–13 cirri; 4–20 frontoventral cirri arranged in 2–4 rows; three frontal, one buccal and 2–6 transverse cirri; usually one left and one right marginal row, composed of 17–51 and 20–51 cirri respectively; usually two dorsal kineties; two macronuclear nodules and two micronuclei. Morphogenesis is typical of the genus Lamtostyla: parental structures are involved in the formation of frontoventral transverse anlagen in the proter. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence data reveal that the systematic position of Lamtostyla is rather unstable with low support values across the tree. However, a well-recognized close relationship between Lamtostyla and Bistichella are shown in all phylogenetic analyses.

Morphology, morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of Uroleptus (Caudiholosticha) stueberi (Foissner, 1987) comb. nov. (Ciliophora, Hypotricha), and reclassification of the remaining Caudiholosticha species

The morphology, morphogenesis, and SSU rDNA sequence of a Caudiholosticha stueberi population from Southwest China soil were analyzed. The studies confirm the assumption of previous workers that this species has dorsomarginal kineties and thus does not belong to the urostyloids, but to the non-oxytrichid dorsomarginalian genus Uroleptus whose members have, in contrast to C. stueberi, a distinct tail. On the basis of two morphological features we split Uroleptus into three subgenera: U. (Uroleptus) (tail present; more than five transverse cirri; habitat freshwater), U. (Paruroleptus) (present; five or less; freshwater or soil), and U. (Caudiholosticha) stat. nov. (lacking; five or less; soil). Since Uroleptus (Caudiholosticha) stueberi comb. nov. is the type of Caudiholosticha, the other 16 species so far assigned to Caudiholosticha have to be reclassified because they obviously lack dorsomarginal kineties. Based on published data, six new urostyloid genera are established: Extraholosticha gen. nov. (type: Holosticha sylvatica; monotypic); Adumbratosticha gen. nov. (type: H. tetracirrata; three species); Acuholosticha gen. nov. (type: U. paranotabilis; five species); Limnoholosticha gen. nov. (type: H. (Holosticha) navicularum; four species); Multiholosticha gen. nov. (type: H. multicaudicirrus; two species); and Caudikeronopsis gen. nov. (type: Caudiholosticha marina; monotypic). Urosomoida sejongensis is transferred to Oxytrichella: O. sejongensis comb. nov.

Rigidosticha italiensis n. gen., n. sp. (Ciliophora, Spirotricha), a novel large hypotrich ciliate from the soil of Lombardia, Italy

The morphology of Rigidosticha italiensis n. gen., n. sp., which was found in a soil sample collected from an uncultivated field in Lombardia, Italy, was investigated using live observation and protargol staining. Rigidosticha n. gen. is characterised by a rigid body, undulating membranes resembling a Steinia pattern, oxytrichid frontal ciliature, distinct mid-ventral cirral pairs, transverse cirri, one right and one left row of marginal cirri, absence of dorsal kinety 3 fragmentation, more than two dorsomarginal rows, and caudal cirri. The new species shows the following features: size in vivo 230–330×100–170μm, on average 230×115μm in protargol preparations; two ellipsoidal macronuclear nodules; 51 adoral membranelles; one buccal cirrus; one parabuccal cirrus; two frontoterminal cirri; 16 mid-ventral cirral pairs; and three transverse cirri. Rigidosticha mainly differs from Rigidothrix, Afrophrya, Uroleptus, and Territricha, in having the undulating membranes in Rigidosticha (vs. oxytrichid and cyrtohymenid) pattern. The oxytrichid frontal ciliature and midventral pattern in the present species further support the CEUU (Convergent Evolution of Urostylids and Uroleptids) hypothesis.

Ontogeny and Molecular Phylogeny of Apoamphisiella vernalis Reveal Unclear Separation between Genera Apoamphisiella and Paraurostyla (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotricha).

Morphology and divisional morphogenesis of the hypotrich ciliate Apoamphisiella vernalis are investigated based on two populations from Brazil. Typical specimens of A. vernalis replicates its ventral ciliature from six fronto-ventral-transverse (FVT) anlagen independently formed for proter and opisthe, plus one or more short anlagen located between IV and V, which form surplus transverse cirri. Dorsal morphogenesis occurs as in typical oxytrichid dorsomarginalians, viz., with formation of three anlagen and fragmentation of the rightmost one. Dorsomarginal kineties are formed near anterior end of right marginal cirral row anlagen. Various anomalous specimens exhibiting more than two long ventral rows were found, which are explained by increasing the number of FVT anlagen and/or the number of cirri produced by anlagen. Comparative ontogeny and phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S rDNA reveal that Apoamphisiella vernalis is closely affine to North American and European strains of the Paraurostyla weissei complex. Their reduced genetic distances and conspicuous morphological variability show that both genera can overlap, which implies the necessity of re-evaluating the contextual relevance of some morphological characters commonly used for genus-level separation within hypotrich taxa.

Description of the Halophile Euplotes qatarensis nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea, Euplotida) Isolated from the Hypersaline Khor Al-Adaid Lagoon in Qatar.

The morphology, ontogenesis, and phylogenetic relationships of a halophile euplotid ciliates, Euplotes qatarensis nov. spec., isolated from the Khor Al-Adaid Lagoon in Qatar were investigated based on live observation as well as protargol- and silver nitrate-impregnated methods. The new species is characterised by a combination of features: the halophile habitat, a cell size of 50-65×33-40μm, seven dorsal ridges, 10 commonly sized frontoventral cirri, two widely spaced marginal cirri, 10 dorsolateral kineties, and a double silverline pattern. The morphogenesis is similar to that of its congeners: (i) the oral primordium develops hypoapokinetally and the parental oral apparatus is retained; (ii) the frontoventral-transverse field of five streaks gives rise to the frontal, ventral, and transverse cirri, but not to the cirri I/1 and the marginal cirri; (iii) the dorsal somatic ciliature develops by intrakinetal proliferation of basal bodies in two anlagen per kinety that are just anterior and posterior to the future division furrow; (iv) the caudal cirri are formed by the two rightmost dorsolateral kineties. The SSU rDNA sequence of E.qatarensis branches with full support in the Euplotopsis elegans-Euplotes nobilii-Euplotopsis raikovi clade. The closest related publicly available SSU rDNA sequence is the one of E.nobilii, with which E.qatarensis has 93.4% sequence similarity. Euplotes parawoodruffi Song & Bradbury, 1997 is transferred to the genus Euplotoides based on the absence of frontoventral cirrus VI/3.

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In this study, a new "non-oxytrichid Dorsomarginalia" ciliate, Urosomoida sejongensis n. sp. discovered from freshwater of the King George Island, Antarctica, was investigated using morphological, morphometrical, and molecular methods. Morphology of U. sejongensis is characterized as follows: body shape slender to elongated; cortical granules spherical and colorless, groups of granules formed patchy distribution; ring-shaped structures scattered in cytoplasm; 27-30 adoral membranelles with undulating membranes in Oxytricha pattern; usually 17 frontal-ventral-transverse (FVT) cirri composed of 3 frontal, 1 buccal, 4 frontoventral, 3 postoral ventral, 2 pretransverse ventral and 4 transverse cirri; 1 right and 1 left marginal rows; 3 dorsal kineties with 1 dorsomarginal row, 3 caudal cirri; 1 micronucleus between 2 macronuclear nodules. This new species mainly differs from other congeners by the combination of following morphological features: a micronucleus, cortical granules, and ciliatures (e.g., adoral membranelles, FVT cirri). Urosomoida sejongensis shows a nucleotide similarity of 97.3% with U. agilis, type of this genus, using the SSU rDNA sequence. Molecular phylogeny shows a non-monophyletic relationship among Urosomoida species and emphasizes the need for further morphogenetic studies of this genus and other related species to resolve morphological convergences.

Morphology and Small Subunit rDNA Phylogeny of Two New Marine Urostylid Ciliates, Caudiholosticha marina sp. nov. and Nothoholosticha flava sp. nov. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia).

Two marine urostylid ciliates, Caudiholosticha marina sp. nov. and Nothoholosticha flava sp. nov., isolated from intertidal sediment in the Yellow Sea, are investigated using morphological and small subunit rDNA phylogenetic analyses. Caudiholosticha marina is 210-310μm×40-55μm invivo, and has 10-20 macronuclear nodules, 23-37 midventral cirral pairs extending to 5-8 transverse cirri, and two caudal cirri. It differs from congeners by its marine habitat, larger size, macronuclear arrangement pattern and high number of midventral pairs. Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate a polyphyly of Caudiholosticha. Nothoholosticha flava is yellow to brownish and 240-320μm×40-60μm sized, and has a bipartite adoral zone, six frontal cirri in atypical bicorona, usually four frontoterminal, one buccal and 5-7 transverse cirri and 28-54 midventral pairs. Phylogenetic analyses allocate N. flava as sister of N. fasciola, type of the genus. The two Nothoholosticha species differ distinctly by the presence/absence of frontoterminal cirri, a feature often used to define genera in the Hypotrichia. However, the SSU rDNA sequence similarity between these two species is 99.3%, which weakens the justification for separating the new isolate at genus level. The taxonomic significance of frontoterminal cirri is discussed based on morphological and molecular data.

Morphology and systematics of two freshwater urostylid ciliates, with description of a new species (Protista, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia)

The morphology of two freshwater urostylid species, Neourostylopsis flava spec. nov. and Pseudourostyla subtropicaChen et al., 2014, isolated from freshwater ponds in northern and southern China, respectively, was investigated following examination of specimens in vivo and following protargol staining. Neourostylopsis flava spec. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the following characteristics: body size 150–220×50–75μm in vivo; yellow in colour; bright yellow to yellow-brownish spherical cortical granules densely arranged along marginal cirral rows and in irregular short rows on dorsal side; adoral zone with 40–55 membranelles; six to eight frontal, three or four buccal, two pretransverse ventral and seven to nine transverse cirri; 27–40 midventral pairs extending to about anterior 55% of cell; four or five left and four right marginal rows; freshwater habitat. A redescription of a freshwater population of P. subtropica is also provided. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences shows that P. subtropica and N. flava spec. nov. group with their congeners and both Neourostylopsis and Pseudourostyla are monophyletic.

Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of two novel ciliates, with establishment of a new genus, Pseudogastrostyla n. g. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia, Oxytrichidae)

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.

Two Gonostomatid Ciliates from the Soil of Lombardia, Italy; including Note on the Soil Mapping Project.

Two gonostomatid ciliates, Gonostomum paronense n. sp. and G. strenuum, isolated from the soil sample of paddy field, Lombardia, Italy, were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Gonostomum paronense n. sp. is mainly characterized by a tailed body, frontoventral cirri arranged in pairs, and presence of pretransverse and transverse cirri. Morphologically and morphometrically, the new species is similar to Gonostomum namibiense in having a tailed body and frontoventral cirral pairs; however, it differs mainly in the number of frontoventral cirral pairs (seven vs. three). Phylogenetic analyses based on the SSU rDNA sequences show that the new species is more closely related to G. namibiense than to G. strenuum, supporting the morphological classification based on the cirral pattern and the tailed body. However, due to the poor nodal support and absence of gene sequence of the type species Gonostomum, a more robust phylogeny of this group still remains unresolved. The biometric data of the Italian population of Gonostomum strenuum overlap with those from other known populations. Both species were collected from the industrial area of Parona, in the framework of the "Soil Mapping, Lombardia" project in which, for the first time in Italy, soil ciliates were used as bioindicators of soil quality.

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of Two New Brackish Water Ciliates of Bakuella (Ciliophora: Urostylida: Bakuellidae) from South Korea

Two new species of Bakuella, B. (B.) incheonensis n. sp. and B. (Pseudobakuella) litoralis n. sp., were discovered in brackish water near Aamdo Shore Park, Incheon, South Korea. We conducted a morphological study based on live observations and protargol-impregnated specimens, and a molecular analysis using nuclear SSU rRNA gene sequences. Bakuella (B.) incheonensis is diagnosed by: body size 70-105 × 20-40 μm in vivo, 21-25 adoral membranelles, three or four frontoterminal cirri, midventral complex composed of 7-10 midventral pairs with one or two rows and terminating at about 62% of body length, 20-28 left and 25-32 right marginal cirri, 58-87 macronuclear nodules, and yellowish cortical granules. Bakuella (Pseudobakuella) litoralis is diagnosed by: body size 90-125 × 30-40 μm in vivo, 25-33 adoral membranelles, 3-5 buccal cirri, midventral complex composed 10-15 midventral pairs with one or two rows and terminated at 70% of body length, one or two pretransverse cirri, 3-6 transverse cirri, 26-39 left and 29-47 right marginal cirri, 49-84 macronuclear nodules, and two types of cortical granules. Molecular phylogeny using SSU rRNA gene sequences shows a nonmonophyletic relationship among Bakuella species and emphasizes the need for further morphogenetic studies of this genus and other related hypotrichs.