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Melekhin M, Yakovleva Y, Lebedeva N, Nekrasova I, Nikitashina L, Castelli M, Mayén-Estrada R, Romanovich AE, Petroni G, Potekhin A. Cryptic Diversity in Paramecium multimicronucleatum Revealed with a Polyphasic Approach. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10050974. [PMID: 35630417 PMCID: PMC9143557 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Paramecium (Ciliophora) systematics is well studied, and about twenty morphological species have been described. The morphological species may include several genetic species. However, molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the species diversity within Paramecium could be even higher and has raised a problem of cryptic species whose statuses remain uncertain. In the present study, we provide the morphological and molecular characterization of two novel Paramecium species. While Paramecium lynni n. sp., although morphologically similar to P. multimicronucleatum, is phylogenetically well separated from all other Paramecium species, Paramecium fokini n. sp. appears to be a cryptic sister species to P. multimicronucleatum. The latter two species can be distinguished only by molecular methods. The number and structure of micronuclei, traditionally utilized to discriminate species in Paramecium, vary not only between but also within each of the three studied species and, thus, cannot be considered a reliable feature for species identification. The geographic distribution of the P. multimicronucleatum and P. fokini n. sp. strains do not show defined patterns, still leaving space for a role of the geographic factor in initial speciation in Paramecium. Future findings of new Paramecium species can be predicted from the molecular data, while morphological characteristics appear to be unstable and overlapping at least in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksim Melekhin
- Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Protistology, Zoological Institute RAS, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yulia Yakovleva
- Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Lebedeva
- Centre for Culture Collection of Microorganisms, Saint Petersburg State University, 198504 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina Nekrasova
- Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Liubov Nikitashina
- Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Michele Castelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Lazzaro Spallanzani', University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Rosaura Mayén-Estrada
- Laboratorio de Protozoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Ext. s/núm. Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, Coyoacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
| | - Anna E Romanovich
- Center for Molecular and Cell Technologies, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Giulio Petroni
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alexey Potekhin
- Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Protistology, Zoological Institute RAS, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
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Matsumoto S, Watanabe K, Kiyota H, Tachibana M, Shimizu T, Watarai M. Distinction of Paramecium strains by a combination method of RAPD analysis and multiplex PCR. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265139. [PMID: 35275953 PMCID: PMC8916638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Paramecium is employed as a valuable model organism in various research fields since a large number of strains with different characteristics of size, morphology, degree of aging, and type of conjugation can be obtained. It is necessary to determine a method for the classification and simple identification of strains to increase their utility as a research tool. This study attempted to establish a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method to differentiate strains of the same species. Genomic DNA was purified from several strains of P. caudatum, P. tetraurelia, and P. bursaria used for comparison by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR method. In P. tetraurelia and P. bursaria, it was sufficiently possible to distinguish specific strains depending on the pattern of random primers and amplification characteristics. For the classification of P. caudatum, based on the sequence data obtained by RAPD-PCR analysis, 5 specific primer sets were designed and a multiplex PCR method was developed. The comparative analysis of 2 standard strains, 12 recommended strains, and 12 other strains of P. caudatum provided by the National BioResource Project was conducted, and specific strains were identified. This multiplex PCR method would be an effective tool for the simple identification of environmental isolates or the management of Paramecium strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Matsumoto
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Kenta Watanabe
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Hiroko Kiyota
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Masato Tachibana
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, National BioResource Project Paramecium, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Takashi Shimizu
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Masahisa Watarai
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Molecular signature characters complement taxonomic diagnoses: a bioinformatic approach exemplified by ciliated protists (Ciliophora, Oligotrichea). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 170:107433. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Algal Diversity in Paramecium bursaria: Species Identification, Detection of Choricystis parasitica, and Assessment of the Interaction Specificity. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12080287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ‘green’ ciliate Paramecium bursaria lives in mutualistic symbiosis with green algae belonging to the species Chlorella variabilis or Micractinium conductrix. We analysed the diversity of algal endosymbionts and their P. bursaria hosts in nine strains from geographically diverse origins. Therefore, their phylogenies using different molecular markers were inferred. The green paramecia belong to different syngens of P. bursaria. The intracellular algae were assigned to Chl. variabilis, M. conductrix or, surprisingly, Choricystis parasitica. This usually free-living alga co-occurs with M. conductrix in the host’s cytoplasm. Addressing the potential status of Chor. parasitica as second additional endosymbiont, we determined if it is capable of symbiosis establishment and replication within a host cell. Symbiont-free P. bursaria were generated by cycloheximid treatment. Those aposymbiotic P. bursaria were used for experimental infections to investigate the symbiosis specificity not only between P. bursaria and Chor. parasitica but including also Chl. variabilis and M. conductrix. For each algae we observed the uptake and incorporation in individual perialgal vacuoles. These host-symbiont associations are stable since more than five months. Thus, Chor. parasitica and P. bursaria can form an intimate and long-term interaction. This study provides new insights into the diversity of P. bursaria algal symbionts.
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Paramecium Diversity and a New Member of the Paramecium aurelia Species Complex Described from Mexico. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12050197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Paramecium (Ciliophora) is an ideal model organism to study the biogeography of protists. However, many regions of the world, such as Central America, are still neglected in understanding Paramecium diversity. We combined morphological and molecular approaches to identify paramecia isolated from more than 130 samples collected from different waterbodies in several states of Mexico. We found representatives of six Paramecium morphospecies, including the rare species Paramecium jenningsi, and Paramecium putrinum, which is the first report of this species in tropical regions. We also retrieved five species of the Paramecium aurelia complex, and describe one new member of the complex, Paramecium quindecaurelia n. sp., which appears to be a sister species of Paramecium biaurelia. We discuss criteria currently applied for differentiating between sibling species in Paramecium. Additionally, we detected diverse bacterial symbionts in some of the collected ciliates.
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