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Luo L, Guo J, Hu Y, Jiang J, Pan H. Coleps shanghaiensis n. sp. challenges the validity of the genus Levicoleps (Cilophora, Prostomatida). Eur J Protistol 2024; 95:126095. [PMID: 38889490 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2024.126095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Coleps is a common genus of pelagic ciliates in freshwater and brackish water habitats. Classification and phylogeny of Coleps species are, however, still full of confusion. In this study, we investigated Coleps shanghaiensis n. sp., collected from a river in Shanghai, China, by living observation, protargol staining, and molecular methods. Coleps shanghaiensis is about 70-90 µm × 35-55 µm in size, has a barrel-shaped body with three posterior spines, and possesses 21-24 ciliary rows, each composed of two perioral dikinetids and 19-22 monokinetids, and six caudal cilia. In SSU rRNA gene phylogenies, C. shanghaiensis fell within the clade of subspecies of Levicoleps biwae, which questions the validity of the genus Levicoleps. Furthermore, the biogeography of the genus Coleps is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxuan Luo
- Shanghai Universities Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Taxonomy and Evolution, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Junqi Guo
- Shanghai Universities Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Taxonomy and Evolution, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yu Hu
- National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Jiamei Jiang
- Shanghai Universities Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Taxonomy and Evolution, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Hongbo Pan
- Shanghai Universities Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Taxonomy and Evolution, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
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2
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Becz Á, Buonanno F, Achille G, Ortenzi C, Wanzenböck S, Warren A, Sonntag B. Protists in science communication. Eur J Protistol 2024; 95:126094. [PMID: 38875764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2024.126094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Despite their high abundance and wide distribution in ecosystems, most protists remain unknown to the public. Although science communication approaches were developed in historical times to raise public awareness of these 'enigmatic' taxa, many aspects have not been considered in the spotlight of modern techniques. We present selected ideas and activities on how to attract the public to unicellular eukaryotes. We give examples of how protists can be included in educational work. We explain that trained non-experts can understand and teach others how to recognize protists, where they live, in which habitats they can be found, what they look like and why they are important. Consequently, members of the public can learn how environmental threats impact not only the lives of protists but also ours, e.g., by the accumulation of microplastics through an aquatic food web, up to fish used for human consumption. We suggest age-appropriate methods for application in workshops on protist recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álmos Becz
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Federico Buonanno
- Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, University of Macerata, Italy
| | - Gabriele Achille
- Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, University of Macerata, Italy
| | - Claudio Ortenzi
- Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, University of Macerata, Italy
| | - Sabine Wanzenböck
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - Bettina Sonntag
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
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3
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Jiang L, Wang C, Al-Farraj SA, Hines HN, Hu X. Morphological and molecular examination of the ciliate family Lagynusidae (Protista, Ciliophora, Prostomatea) with descriptions of two new genera and two new species from China. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 5:178-195. [PMID: 37275546 PMCID: PMC10232704 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00174-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ciliates in the class Prostomatea play an important role in the global microbial loop due to their significant abundances and broad feeding strategies at the foundation of food webs. Despite their importance in ecosystems, the taxonomy and systematics of this group of ciliates has long been poorly understood, with this being especially true for members of the family Lagynusidae. Here we examine four lagynusids collected from sandy beaches in China, using silver-staining and 18S rRNA gene sequencing techniques. These investigations revealed two new genera and two new species and provided details for two little known forms: Penardella marina gen. nov., sp. nov., Apolagynus cucumis (as reported by Penard. Études sur les infusoires d'eau douce. Georg and Cie, Genève, 1922) gen. nov., comb. nov., Lagynus minutus sp. nov., and Lagynus elegans (Engelmann in Z Wiss Zool 11:347-393, 1862) Quennerstedt (Acta Univ Lund 4:1-48, 1867). Penardella gen. nov. can be morphologically distinguished by having more than three dikinetidal perioral kineties. Apolagynus gen. nov. differs from the closely related genus Lagynus in the absence of a conspicuous neck-like region. The ciliature of Apolagynus cucumis is revealed here for the first time, which demonstrates the classification of this species within Lagynusidae. Furthermore, Apolagynus binucleatus (Jiang et al., 2021) comb. nov. is established according to the new finding. The results of our phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S rRNA gene support the establishment of two new genera and indicate that Lagynusidae is monophyletic, which further strengthens its valid taxonomic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Jiang
- College of Fisheries, and Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Congcong Wang
- College of Fisheries, and Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Saleh A. Al-Farraj
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia
| | - Hunter N. Hines
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL 34982 USA
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- College of Fisheries, and Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
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Krivina ES, Bobrovnikova LA, Temraleeva AD, Markelova AG, Gabrielyan DA, Sinetova MA. Description of Neochlorella semenenkoi gen. et. sp. nov. (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae), a Novel Chlorella-like Alga with High Biotechnological Potential. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15040513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite many publications about Chlorella-like algae, their reliable and accurate identification is still difficult due to their simplicity and high phenotypic plasticity. The molecular approach has revolutionized our understanding of the diversity of ’small green balls’, and a natural classification of this group is currently being developed. This work is aimed at providing a detailed study of the phylogenetic position, morphology, ultrastructure, and physiology of the biotechnologically remarkable Chlorella-like strain IPPAS C-1210. Based on the SSU–ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 phylogeny, genetic distances, and the presence of compensatory base changes (CBCs) in ITS1 and conserved regions of ITS2 secondary structures, we describe a new genus, Neochlorella, with IPPAS C-1210 as the authentic strain of the type species, N. semenenkoi gen. and sp. nov. In addition, we justify the reassignment of the strain C. thermophila ITBB HTA 1–65 into N. thermophila comb. nov. The distinctive ultrastructural and physiological traits of the new species are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena S. Krivina
- Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Prosp. Nauki, 3, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Lidia A. Bobrovnikova
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Str. 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 2100 Godollo, Hungary
| | - Anna D. Temraleeva
- Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Prosp. Nauki, 3, Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Alexandra G. Markelova
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Str. 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
| | - David A. Gabrielyan
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Str. 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
| | - Maria A. Sinetova
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya Str. 35, Moscow 127276, Russia
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5
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Lu B, Hu X, Warren A, Song W, Yan Y. From oral structure to molecular evidence: new insights into the evolutionary phylogeny of the ciliate order Sessilida (Protista, Ciliophora), with the establishment of two new families and new contributions to the poorly studied family Vaginicolidae. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023:10.1007/s11427-022-2268-2. [PMID: 36907967 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2268-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Ciliated protists represent one of the most primitive and diverse lineages of eukaryotes, with nuclear dimorphism, a distinctive sexual process (conjugation), and extensive genome rearrangements. Among divergent ciliate lineages, the peritrich order Sessilida includes members with a colonial lifestyle, which may hint to an independent evolutionary attempt for multicellularity, although they are still single-celled organisms. To date, the evolution and phylogeny of this group are still far from clear, in part due to the paucity of molecular and/or morphological data for many taxa. In this study, we extend taxon sampling of a loricate group of sessilids by obtaining 69 new rDNA (SSU rDNA, ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2, and LSU rDNA) sequences from 20 well-characterized representative species and analyze the phylogenetic relationships within Sessilida. The main findings are: (i) the genera Rhabdostyla and Campanella each represents a unique taxon at family level, supporting the establishment of two new families, i.e., Rhabdostylidae n. fam. and Campanellidae n. fam., respectively, the former being sister to a morphologically heterogeneous clade comprising Astylozoidae and several incertae sedis species and the latter occupying the basal position within the Sessilida clade; (ii) the structure of infundibular polykinety 3 is likely to be a phylogenetically informative character for resolving evolutionary relationships among sessilids; (iii) differences between sparsely and the densely arranged silverline systems could be a suprageneric taxonomic character; (iv) the monophyly of Vaginicolidae is confirmed, which is consistent with its specialized morphology, i.e., the possession of a typical peritrich lorica which might be an apomorphy for this group; (v) within Vaginicolidae, the monotypic Cothurniopsis sensu Stokes, 1893 is a synonym of Cothurnia Ehrenberg, 1831, and a new combination is created, i.e., Cothurnia valvata nov. comb.; (vi) Vaginicola sensu lato comprises at least two distinctly divergent clades, one affiliated with Thuricola and the other with a systematically puzzling clade represented by Vaginicola tincta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borong Lu
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.,College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Weibo Song
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Ying Yan
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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6
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Temperature-dependent resistance to starvation of three contrasting freshwater ciliates. Eur J Protistol 2023; 88:125973. [PMID: 36989877 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2023.125973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the temperature-dependent response to starvation of three contrasting freshwater ciliates (Ciliophora). The cyst-forming algivorous species Meseres corlissi and the bactivorous species Glaucomides bromelicola, which cannot form cysts, co-occur in the reservoirs (tanks) of tree bromeliads. The mixotrophic species Coleps spetai is common in many lakes. We hypothesized that the ciliates' different traits and life strategies would affect their survival rates and temperature sensitivity under food depleted conditions. We measured the decline of the ciliate populations in microcosm experiments at different temperatures for several days. We used an imaging flow cytometer to size the ciliates and documented their morphological and physiological changes in response to starvation. We found that the cyst-forming species had the highest mortality rates but may endure long-term starvation by encystment. The sympatric, non-encysting species suffered the lowest mortality rates and could survive for more than three weeks without food. The mixotrophic species had intermediate mortality rates but showed the highest phenotypic plasticity in response to starvation. A significant fraction of the C. spetai population appeared unaffected by starvation, suggesting that the endosymbionts provided some resources to the host cells. The mean mortality rate per day of all three species increased with temperature by 0.09 °C-1.
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Krivina E, Sinetova M, Savchenko T, Degtyaryov E, Tebina E, Temraleeva A. Micractinium lacustre and M. thermotolerans spp. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta): Taxonomy, temperature-dependent growth, photosynthetic characteristics and fatty acid composition. ALGAL RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2023.103042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
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8
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Bharti D, Kumar S, Buonanno F, Ortenzi C, Montanari A, Quintela-Alonso P, La Terza A. Free living ciliated protists from the chemoautotrophic cave ecosystem of Frasassi (Italy). SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.44.96545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides the first report on a community of free-living ciliated protists from the chemoautotrophic cave ecosystem of Frasassi, Italy. This subterranean groundwater ecosystem represents a hotspot of biodiversity that still needs to be fully explored with particular reference to microbial eukaryotes such as protist ciliates. A total of 33 taxa of ciliates were identified along with one species each of flagellate, heliozoans and naked amoebae, from four main sampling sites, namely, Grotta Solfurea (GSO), Lago Verde (LVE), Ramo Solfureo (RSO), and Pozzo dei Cristalli (PDC). The last consists of small microhabitats/ponds presenting different chemical–physical and biological parameters, such as sulfur and nutrient contents and the presence of bacterial biofilms. Furthermore, an analysis of the cryptic ciliate species biosphere as a ‘seedbank’ of diversity against cave ecosystem disturbance was also performed. This study also highlights some peculiar adaptations of cave-dwelling ciliates not described in their noncave-dwelling conspecifics, such as the extreme photosensitivity of Urocentrum turbo, the cannibalism of Coleps hirtus, the variable number of thorns in Aspidisca species as a defensive response to predation, and the frequent reorganization of ciliary structures in Euplotes aediculatus. The 18S rDNA sequences were generated for five species and were compared with those of the noncave-dwelling conspecifics. Finally, our results shed light on the still largely unknown ciliate diversity in the chemosynthesis-based sulfidic groundwater ecosystem of Frasassi.
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Wang Z, Chi Y, Li T, Song W, Wang Y, Wu T, Zhang G, Liu Y, Ma H, Song W, Al-Rasheid KAS, Warren A, Lu B. Biodiversity of freshwater ciliates (Protista, Ciliophora) in the Lake Weishan Wetland, China: the state of the art. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 4:429-451. [PMID: 37078082 PMCID: PMC10077249 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-022-00154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Ciliates are core components of the structure of and function of aquatic microbial food webs. They play an essential role in the energy flow and material circulation within aquatic ecosystems. However, studies on the taxonomy and biodiversity of freshwater ciliates, especially those in wetlands in China are limited. To address this issue, a project to investigate the freshwater ciliates of the Lake Weishan Wetland, Shandong Province, commenced in 2019. Here, we summarize our findings to date on the diversity of ciliates. A total of 187 ciliate species have been found, 94 of which are identified to species-level, 87 to genus-level, and six to family-level. These species show a high morphological diversity and represent five classes, i.e., Heterotrichea, Litostomatea, Prostomatea, Oligohymenophorea, and Spirotrichea. The largest number of species documented are oligohymenophoreans. A comprehensive database of these ciliates, including morphological data, gene sequences, microscope slide specimens and a DNA bank, has been established. In the present study, we provide an annotated checklist of retrieved ciliates as well as information on the sequences of published species. Most of these species are recorded in China for the first time and more than 20% are tentatively identified as new to science. Additionally, an investigation of environmental DNA revealed that the ciliate species diversity in Lake Weishan Wetland is higher than previously supposed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-022-00154-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209 China
| | - Yong Chi
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Tao Li
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Wenya Song
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Yunfeng Wang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Tong Wu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Gongaote Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Yujie Liu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Honggang Ma
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Weibo Song
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209 China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | | | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD UK
| | - Borong Lu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
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Species delimitation polyphasic approach reveals Meyerella similis sp. nov.: a new species of “small green balls” within the Chlorella-clade (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-022-00590-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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11
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Spanner C, Darienko T, Filker S, Sonntag B, Pröschold T. Morphological diversity and molecular phylogeny of five Paramecium bursaria (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) syngens and the identification of their green algal endosymbionts. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18089. [PMID: 36302793 PMCID: PMC9613978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22284-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Paramecium bursaria is a mixotrophic ciliate species, which is common in stagnant and slow-flowing, nutrient-rich waters. It is usually found living in symbiosis with zoochlorellae (green algae) of the genera Chlorella or Micractinium. We investigated P. bursaria isolates from around the world, some of which have already been extensively studied in various laboratories, but whose morphological and genetic identity has not yet been completely clarified. Phylogenetic analyses of the SSU and ITS rDNA sequences revealed five highly supported lineages, which corresponded to the syngen and most likely to the biological species assignment. These syngens R1-R5 could also be distinguished by unique synapomorphies in the secondary structures of the SSU and the ITS. Considering these synapomorphies, we could clearly assign the existing GenBank entries of P. bursaria to specific syngens. In addition, we discovered synapomorphies at amino acids of the COI gene for the identification of the syngens. Using the metadata of these entries, most syngens showed a worldwide distribution, however, the syngens R1 and R5 were only found in Europe. From morphology, the syngens did not show any significant deviations. The investigated strains had either Chlorella variabilis, Chlorella vulgaris or Micractinium conductrix as endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Spanner
- grid.5771.40000 0001 2151 8122Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Tatyana Darienko
- grid.5771.40000 0001 2151 8122Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria ,grid.7450.60000 0001 2364 4210Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Filker
- grid.7645.00000 0001 2155 0333Molecular Ecology Group, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Bettina Sonntag
- grid.5771.40000 0001 2151 8122Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Thomas Pröschold
- grid.5771.40000 0001 2151 8122Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
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12
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Briddon CL, Szekeres E, Hegedüs A, Nicoară M, Chiriac C, Stockenreiter M, Drugă B. The combined impact of low temperatures and shifting phosphorus availability on the competitive ability of cyanobacteria. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16409. [PMID: 36180771 PMCID: PMC9525609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In freshwater systems, cyanobacteria are strong competitors under enhanced temperature and eutrophic conditions. Understanding their adaptive and evolutionary potential to multiple environmental states allows us to accurately predict their response to future conditions. To better understand if the combined impacts of temperature and nutrient limitation could suppress the cyanobacterial blooms, a single strain of Microcystis aeruginosa was inoculated into natural phytoplankton communities with different nutrient conditions: oligotrophic, eutrophic and eutrophic with the addition of bentophos. We found that the use of the bentophos treatment causes significant differences in prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. This resulted in reduced biodiversity among the eukaryotes and a decline in cyanobacterial abundance suggesting phosphorus limitation had a strong impact on the community structure. The low temperature during the experiment lead to the disappearance of M. aeruginosa in all treatments and gave other phytoplankton groups a competitive advantage leading to the dominance of the eukaryotic families that have diverse morphologies and nutritional modes. These results show cyanobacteria have a reduced competitive advantage under certain temperature and nutrient limiting conditions and therefore, controlling phosphorus concentrations could be a possible mitigation strategy for managing harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a future warmer climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte L Briddon
- Institute of Biological Research (NIRDBS), 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Edina Szekeres
- Institute of Biological Research (NIRDBS), 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adriana Hegedüs
- Institute of Biological Research (NIRDBS), 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maria Nicoară
- Institute of Biological Research (NIRDBS), 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cecilia Chiriac
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Stockenreiter
- Department of Biology II, Experimental Aquatic Ecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitӓt Müchen, Groβhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bogdan Drugă
- Institute of Biological Research (NIRDBS), 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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Roman MD, Sava C, Iluțiu-Varvara DA, Mare R, Pruteanu LL, Pică EM, Jäntschi L. Biological Activated Sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plant before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11323. [PMID: 36141596 PMCID: PMC9517470 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the related measures brought a change in daily life that affected the characteristics of the municipal wastewater and further, of the biological activated sludge. The activated sludge process is the most widely used biological wastewater treatment process in developed areas. In this paper, we aim to show the situation of specific investigations concerning the variation of the physicochemical parameters and biological composition of the activated sludge from one conventional wastewater treatment plant from a metropolitan area. The investigations were carried out for three years: 2019, 2020 and 2021. The results showed the most representative taxa of microorganisms: Microtrix, Aspidisca cicada, Vorticella convallaria, Ciliata free of the unknown and Epistylis and Rotifers. Even if other microorganisms were found in the sludge flocs, their small presence did not influence in any way the quality of the activated sludge and of the wastewater treatment process. That is why we conclude that protozoa (especially Flagellates and Ciliates) and rotifers were the most important. Together with the values and variation of the physicochemical parameters, they indicated a good, healthy, and stable activated sludge, along with an efficient purifying treatment process, no matter the loading conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius-Daniel Roman
- Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cornel Sava
- Faculty of Engineering Materials and the Environment, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dana-Adriana Iluțiu-Varvara
- Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Roxana Mare
- Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lavinia-Lorena Pruteanu
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, North University Center at Baia Mare, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 76 Victoriei Street, 430122 Baia Mare, Romania
| | - Elena Maria Pică
- Faculty of Engineering Materials and the Environment, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lorentz Jäntschi
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 103-105 Bd. Muncii, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Institute for Doctoral Studies, Babes-Bolyai University, 1 M. Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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14
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Frantal D, Agatha S, Beisser D, Boenigk J, Darienko T, Dirren-Pitsch G, Filker S, Gruber M, Kammerlander B, Nachbaur L, Scheffel U, Stoeck T, Qian K, Weißenbacher B, Pröschold T, Sonntag B. Molecular Data Reveal a Cryptic Diversity in the Genus Urotricha (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Prostomatida), a Key Player in Freshwater Lakes, With Remarks on Morphology, Food Preferences, and Distribution. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:787290. [PMID: 35185817 PMCID: PMC8854374 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.787290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Species of the ciliate genus Urotricha are key players in freshwater plankton communities. In the pelagial of lakes, about 20 urotrich species occur throughout an annual cycle, some of which play a pivotal role in aquatic food webs. For example, during the phytoplankton spring bloom, they consume a remarkable proportion of the algal production. In ecological studies, urotrich ciliates are usually merely identified to genus rank and grouped into size classes. This is unsatisfying considering the distinct autecological properties of individual species and their specific spatial and temporal distribution patterns. As a basis for future research, we characterized in detail four common urotrich morphotypes, i.e., specimens identified as U. furcata and tentatively as U. agilis, U. pseudofurcata, and U. castalia, using state-of-the-art methods. We used an integrative polyphasic approach, in which morphological studies (in vivo observation, silver staining methods, scanning electron microscopy) were linked with a molecular approach exploiting four different gene fragments as taxonomic DNA barcodes with different resolution potential (SSU rDNA, ITS-1, ITS-2, hypervariable V4 and V9 regions of the SSU rDNA). We shed light on the diversity of urotrich ciliates as well as on their global distribution patterns, and annual cycles. Additionally, we coupled individual species occurrences and environmental parameters, and subsequently modeled the distribution and occurrence, using logistic regressions. Furthermore, for one strain putatively identified as U. castalia, we ascertained the optimal cultivation media and food preferences. Thereby, our comprehensive view on these important freshwater ciliates that frequently occur in environmental high throughput sequencing datasets worldwide will allow future studies to better exploit protistan plankton data from lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Frantal
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Sabine Agatha
- Department of Biosciences, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jens Boenigk
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Tatyana Darienko
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
- Experimental Phycology and Culture Collection of Algae, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gianna Dirren-Pitsch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Kilchberg, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Filker
- Molecular Ecology Group, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | | | - Barbara Kammerlander
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
- Federal Agency for Water Management, Institute for Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries Management, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Laura Nachbaur
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Ulrike Scheffel
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Thorsten Stoeck
- Ecology Group, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Kuimei Qian
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
- College of Environmental Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou, China
| | - Birgit Weißenbacher
- Department of Biosciences, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Pröschold
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Bettina Sonntag
- Research Department for Limnology, Mondsee, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
- *Correspondence: Bettina Sonntag,
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15
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Flöder S, Yong J, Klauschies T, Gaedke U, Poprick T, Brinkhoff T, Moorthi S. Intraspecific trait variation alters the outcome of competition in freshwater ciliates. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:10225-10243. [PMID: 34367571 PMCID: PMC8328434 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trait variation among heterospecific and conspecific organisms may substantially affect community and food web dynamics. While the relevance of competition and feeding traits have been widely studied for different consumer species, studies on intraspecific differences are more scarce, partly owing to difficulties in distinguishing different clones of the same species. Here, we investigate how intraspecific trait variation affects the competition between the freshwater ciliates Euplotes octocarinatus and Coleps hirtus in a nitrogen-limited chemostat system. The ciliates competed for the microalgae Cryptomonas sp. (Cry) and Navicula pelliculosa (Nav), and the bacteria present in the cultures over a period of 33 days. We used monoclonal Euplotes and three different Coleps clones (Col 1, Col 2, and Col 3) in the experiment that could be distinguished by a newly developed rDNA-based molecular assay based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. While Euplotes feeds on Cry and on bacteria, the Coleps clones cannot survive on bacteria alone but feed on both Cry and Nav with clone-specific rates. Experimental treatments comprised two-species mixtures of Euplotes and one or all of the three different Coleps clones, respectively. We found intraspecific variation in the traits "selectivity" and "maximum ingestion rate" for the different algae to significantly affect the competitive outcome between the two ciliate species. As Nav quickly escaped top-down control and likely reached a state of low food quality, ciliate competition was strongly determined by the preference of different Coleps clones for Cry as opposed to feeding on Nav. In addition, the ability of Euplotes to use bacteria as an alternative food source strengthened its persistence once Cry was depleted. Hence, trait variation at both trophic levels codetermined the population dynamics and the outcome of species competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Flöder
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)University of OldenburgWilhelmshavenGermany
| | - Joanne Yong
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)University of OldenburgWilhelmshavenGermany
| | - Toni Klauschies
- Ecology and Ecosystem ModellingUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Ecology and Ecosystem ModellingUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - Tobias Poprick
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)University of OldenburgWilhelmshavenGermany
| | - Thorsten Brinkhoff
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)University of OldenburgWilhelmshavenGermany
| | - Stefanie Moorthi
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)University of OldenburgWilhelmshavenGermany
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