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Quevarec L, Brasseur G, Aragnol D, Robaglia C. Tracking the early events of photosymbiosis evolution. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:406-412. [PMID: 38016867 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Oxygenic photosynthesis evolved in cyanobacteria around 3.2 giga-annum (Ga) ago and was acquired by eukaryotes starting around 1.8 Ga ago by endosymbiosis. Photosymbiosis results either from integration of a photosynthetic bacteria by heterotrophic eukaryotes (primary photosymbiosis) or by successive integration of photosymbiotic eukaryotes by heterotrophic eukaryotes (secondary photosymbiosis). Primary endosymbiosis is thought to have been a rare event, whereas secondary and higher-order photosymbiosis evolved multiple times independently in different taxa. Despite its recurrent evolution, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying photosymbiosis are unknown. In this opinion, we discuss the primary events leading to the establishment of photosymbiosis, and we present recent research suggesting that, in some cases, domestication occurred instead of symbiosis, and how oxygen and host immunity can be involved in symbiont maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Quevarec
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, Luminy Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, 13009 Marseille, France; Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, IMM, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 13402 Marseille, France
| | - Gaël Brasseur
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, IMM, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 13402 Marseille, France
| | - Denise Aragnol
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, Luminy Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Robaglia
- Aix Marseille Université, CEA, CNRS, BIAM, Luminy Génétique et Biophysique des Plantes, 13009 Marseille, France.
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2
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Woodcock MR, Powers K, Snead K, Pellettieri J. Flatworm Transcriptomes Reveal Widespread Parasitism by Histophagous Ciliates. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae007. [PMID: 38242711 PMCID: PMC10837001 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Unicellular ciliates like Tetrahymena are best known as free-living bacteriovores, but many species are facultative or obligate parasites. These "histophages" feed on the tissues of hosts ranging from planarian flatworms to commercially important fish and the larvae of imperiled freshwater mussels. Here, we developed a novel bioinformatics pipeline incorporating the nonstandard ciliate genetic code and used it to search for Ciliophora sequences in 34 publicly available Platyhelminthes EST libraries. From 2,615,036 screened ESTs, we identified nearly 6,000 high-confidence ciliate transcripts, supporting parasitism of seven additional flatworm species. We also cultured and identified Tetrahymena from nine terrestrial and freshwater planarians, including invasive earthworm predators from the genus Bipalium and the widely studied regeneration models Dugesia japonica and Schmidtea mediterranea. A co-phylogenetic reconstruction provides strong evidence for the coevolution of histophagous Ciliophora with their Platyhelminthes hosts. We further report the antiprotozoal aminoglycoside paromomycin expels Tetrahymena from S. mediterranea, providing new opportunities to investigate the effects of this relationship on planarian biology. Together, our findings raise the possibility that invasive flatworms constitute a novel dispersal mechanism for Tetrahymena parasites and position the Platyhelminthes as an ideal model phylum for studying the ecology and evolution of histophagous ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ryan Woodcock
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
- Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Natural Science, Trocaire College, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaleigh Powers
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - Kirsten Snead
- Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Woodcock MR, Powers K, Snead K, Pellettieri J. FLATWORM TRANSCRIPTOMES REVEAL WIDESPREAD PARASITISM BY HISTOPHAGOUS CILIATES. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.17.558123. [PMID: 37745455 PMCID: PMC10516030 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.17.558123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Unicellular ciliates like Tetrahymena are best known as free-living bacteriovores, but many species are facultative or obligate parasites. These 'histophages' feed on the tissues of hosts ranging from planarian flatworms to commercially important fish and the larvae of imperiled freshwater mussels. Here, we developed a novel bioinformatics pipeline incorporating the nonstandard ciliate genetic code and used it to search for Ciliophora sequences in 34 publicly available Platyhelminthes EST libraries. From 2,615,036 screened ESTs, we identified nearly 6,000 high-confidence ciliate transcripts, supporting parasitism of seven additional flatworm species. We also cultured and identified Tetrahymena from nine terrestrial and freshwater planarians, including invasive earthworm predators from the genus Bipalium and the widely studied regeneration models Dugesia japonica and Schmidtea mediterranea. A cophylogenetic reconstruction provides strong evidence for coevolution of histophagous Ciliophora with their Platyhelminthes hosts. We further report the antiprotozoal aminoglycoside paromomycin expels Tetrahymena from S. mediterranea, providing new opportunities to investigate the effects of this relationship on planarian biology. Together, our findings raise the possibility that invasive flatworms constitute a novel dispersal mechanism for Tetrahymena parasites and position the Platyhelminthes as an ideal model phylum for studying the ecology and evolution of histophagous ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Ryan Woodcock
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
- Department of Science, Mathematics & Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Natural Science, Trocaire College, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaleigh Powers
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - Kirsten Snead
- Department of Science, Mathematics & Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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4
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Castaldi V, Bellino A, Baldantoni D. The ecology of bladderworts: The unique hunting-gathering-farming strategy in plants. FOOD WEBS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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5
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Azuma Y, Tsuru S, Habuchi M, Takami R, Takano S, Yamamoto K, Hosoda K. Synthetic symbiosis between a cyanobacterium and a ciliate toward novel chloroplast-like endosymbiosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6104. [PMID: 37055487 PMCID: PMC10102011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33321-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chloroplasts are thought to have co-evolved through endosymbiosis, after a cyanobacterial-like prokaryote was engulfed by a eukaryotic cell; however, it is impossible to observe the process toward chloroplasts. In this study, we constructed an experimental symbiosis model to observe the initial stage in the process from independent organisms to a chloroplast-like organelle. Our system of synthetic symbiosis is capable of long-term coculture of two model organisms: a cyanobacterium (Synechocystis sp. PCC6803) as a symbiont and a ciliate (Tetrahymena thermophila) as a host with endocytic ability. The experimental system was clearly defined, because we used a synthetic medium and the cultures were shaken to avoid spatial complexity. We determined the experimental conditions for sustainable coculture, by analyzing population dynamics using a mathematical model. We experimentally demonstrated that the coculture was sustainable for at least 100 generations, through serial transfers. Moreover, we found that cells isolated after the serial transfer improved the probability of coexistence of both species without extinction in re-coculture. The constructed system will be useful for understanding the initial stage of primary endosymbiosis from cyanobacteria to chloroplasts, i.e., the origin of algae and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Azuma
- Institute for Transdisciplinary Graduate Degree Programs, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- Division of Hygienic Chemistry, Osaka Institute of Public Health, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-0025, Japan.
| | - Saburo Tsuru
- Universal Biology Institute, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masumi Habuchi
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Risa Takami
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Sotaro Takano
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kayo Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kazufumi Hosoda
- Institute for Transdisciplinary Graduate Degree Programs, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-2-3 Furuedai, Suita, Osaka, 565-0874, Japan.
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan.
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Rataj M, Vďačný P. Putative ITS2 secondary structure model and multi‐gene phylogenies of tetrahymenids (Ciliophora, Hymenostomatia) parasitizing planarians and crayfish worms. ZOOL SCR 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matej Rataj
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University in Bratislava Bratislava Slovakia
| | - Peter Vďačný
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University in Bratislava Bratislava Slovakia
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7
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Zhang T, Vďačný P. A discovery of two new Tetrahymena species parasitizing slugs and mussels: morphology and multi-gene phylogeny of T. foissneri sp. n. and T. unionis sp. n. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:2595-2616. [PMID: 33851248 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07152-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The presence of parasitic ciliates of the hymenostome genus Tetrahymena was examined in 150 mollusks belonging to six bivalve and 13 gastropod species in Slovakia, Central Europe. Tetrahymenids were detected only in two species, viz., in the invasive Lusitanian slug (Arion vulgaris) and in the native swollen river mussel (Unio tumidus). Although only 10.52% of the examined mollusk taxa were positive, their Tetrahymena infections were very intensive accounting for several hundreds of ciliates per host. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes as well as of the barcoding region of the gene encoding for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I revealed that both isolates represent new taxa, T. foissneri sp. n. and T. unionis sp. n. The former species belongs to the 'borealis' clade and its nearest relative is T. limacis, a well-known parasite of slugs and snails. Besides molecular data, T. foissneri can be distinguished from T. limacis also morphologically by the body shape of the parasitic-phase form, dimensions of micronuclei, and the silverline system. On the other hand, T. unionis was classified within the 'paravorax' clade along with T. pennsylvaniensis, T. glochidiophila, and T. nigricans. Although these four species are genetically distinct, T. unionis could be morphologically separated only from T. nigricans by body shape and size. The present study suggests that both aquatic and terrestrial mollusks represent interesting hosts for the discovery of novel Tetrahymena lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengyue Zhang
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Vďačný
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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8
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Vďačný P, Foissner W. Morphology and ontogenesis of two new Hemiholosticha species (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia, Hemiholostichidae nov. fam.). Eur J Protistol 2020; 77:125763. [PMID: 33307357 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2020.125763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The morphology and ontogenesis of two new hypotrich ciliates, Hemiholosticha solitaria and Hemiholosticha germanica, were studied using live observation, protargol impregnation, and scanning electron microscopy. Both species share a medium-sized, almost globular body with a short anterior projection; two macronuclear nodules with a single micronucleus in between; a central contractile vacuole; three or four ventral, one postoral, one right and one left marginal cirral row; and three dorsal kineties extending along ribs. However, H. germanica is distinguished from congeners by a higher number of cirri in ventral rows R1 and R2 (3-6 vs. 2 cirri in each row). Hemiholosticha solitaria differs from congeners by having four (vs. three) ventral cirral rows and by the lack (vs. presence) of intracellular green algae. The ontogenesis of H. solitaria follows the H. pantanalensis mode in that (i) the oral primordium develops in a deep pouch and generates the first two cirral streaks in addition to adoral membranelles and undulating membranes, (ii) the undulating membrane anlage does not produce any cirri, and (iii) the longitudinal ventral cirral row R3 originates from two anlagen. The ontogenetic peculiarities along with the 18S rRNA gene phylogenies suggest classification of Hemiholosticha, Psilotrichides, and Urospinula into a new family, Hemiholostichidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Vďačný
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Wilhelm Foissner
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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9
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Abstract
Interests to estimate and assess the diversity of ciliates have a centuries-long history [...]
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10
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Sirová D, Kreidlová V, Adamec L, Vrba J. The Ability of Tetrahymena utriculariae (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) to Colonize Traps of Different Species of Aquatic Carnivorous Utricularia. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2020; 67:608-611. [PMID: 32498121 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The host specificity of the recently described ciliate species Tetrahymena utriculariae was tested in a greenhouse growth experiment, which included 14 different species of aquatic Utricularia as potential host plants. We confirmed the high specificity of the interaction between U. reflexa and T. utriculariae, the former being the only tested host species able to maintain colonization for prolonged time periods. We conclude that this plant-microbe relationship is a unique and specialized form of digestive mutualism and the plant-microbe unit a suitable experimental system for future ecophysiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Sirová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Kreidlová
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany CAS, Dukelská 135, CZ-37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Vrba
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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11
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Micractinium tetrahymenae (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta), a New Endosymbiont Isolated from Ciliates. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12050200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Endosymbiosis between coccoid green algae and ciliates are widely distributed and occur in various phylogenetic lineages among the Ciliophora. Most mixotrophic ciliates live in symbiosis with different species and genera of the so-called Chlorella clade (Trebouxiophyceae). The mixotrophic ciliates can be differentiated into two groups: (i) obligate, which always live in symbiosis with such green algae and are rarely algae-free and (ii) facultative, which formed under certain circumstances such as in anoxic environments an association with algae. A case of the facultative endosymbiosis is found in the recently described species of Tetrahymena, T. utriculariae, which lives in the bladder traps of the carnivorous aquatic plant Utricularia reflexa. The green endosymbiont of this ciliate belonged to the genus Micractinium. We characterized the isolated algal strain using an integrative approach and compared it to all described species of this genus. The phylogenetic analyses using complex evolutionary secondary structure-based models revealed that this endosymbiont represents a new species of Micractinium, M. tetrahymenae sp. nov., which was further confirmed by the ITS2/CBC approach.
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Multi-gene phylogeny of Tetrahymena refreshed with three new histophagous species invading freshwater planarians. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:1523-1545. [PMID: 32152714 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06628-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Planarians represent an insufficiently explored group of aquatic invertebrates that might serve as hosts of histophagous ciliates belonging to the hymenostome genus Tetrahymena. During our extensive research on freshwater planarians, parasitic tetrahymenas were detected in two of the eight planarian species investigated, namely, in Dugesia gonocephala and Girardia tigrina. Using the 16S and 18S rRNA genes as well as the barcoding cytochrome oxidase subunit I, one ciliate species was identified as T. scolopax and three species were recognized as new forms: T. acanthophora, T. dugesiae, and T. nigricans. Thus, 25% of the examined planarian taxa are positive for Tetrahymena species and three of them represent new taxa, indicating a large undescribed ciliate diversity in freshwater planarians. According to phylogenetic analyses, histophagous tetrahymenas show a low phylogenetic host specificity. Although T. acanthophora, T. dugesiae, and T. scolopax clustered together within the "borealis" clade, the former species has been detected exclusively in G. tigrina, while the two latter species only in D. gonocephala. Tetrahymena nigricans, which has been isolated only from G. tigrina, was classified within the "paravorax" clade along with T. glochidiophila which feeds on glochidia. The present phylogenetic reconstruction of ancestral life strategies suggested that the last common ancestor of the family Tetrahymenidae was free-living, unlike the progenitor of the subclass Hymenostomatia which was very likely parasitic. Consequently, there were at least seven independent shifts back to parasitism/histophagy within Tetrahymena: one each in the "paravorax" and "australis" clades and at least five transfers back to parasitism in the "borealis" clade.
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Maruyama S, Kim E. Evolution of Photosynthetic Eukaryotes; Current Opinion, Perplexity, and a New Perspective. Results Probl Cell Differ 2020; 69:337-351. [PMID: 33263878 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51849-3_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of eukaryotic photosynthesis marked a major transition for life on Earth, profoundly impacting the atmosphere of the Earth and evolutionary trajectory of an array of life forms. There are about ten lineages of photosynthetic eukaryotes, including Chloroplastida, Rhodophyta, and Cryptophyta. Mechanistically, eukaryotic photosynthesis arose via a symbiotic merger between a host eukaryote and either a cyanobacterial or eukaryotic photosymbiont. There are, however, many aspects of this major evolutionary transition that remain unsettled. The field, so far, has been dominated by proposals formulated following the principle of parsimony, such as the Archaeplastida hypothesis, in which a taxonomic lineage is often conceptually recognized as an individual cell (or a distinct entity). Such an assumption could lead to confusion or unrealistic interpretation of discordant genomic and phenotypic data. Here, we propose that the free-living ancestors to the plastids may have originated from a diversified lineage of cyanobacteria that were prone to symbioses, akin to some modern-day algae such as the Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates and Chlorella-related algae that associate with a number of unrelated host eukaryotes. This scenario, which assumes the plurality of ancestral form, better explains relatively minor but important differences that are observed in the genomes of modern-day eukaryotic algal species. Such a non-typological (or population-aware) way of thinking seems to better-model empirical data, such as discordant phylogenies between plastid and host eukaryote genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Maruyama
- Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Eunsoo Kim
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology & Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
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14
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Abundant and diverse Tetrahymena species living in the bladder traps of aquatic carnivorous Utricularia plants. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13669. [PMID: 31541152 PMCID: PMC6754427 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50123-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ciliates are unicellular eukaryotes known for their cellular complexity and wide range of natural habitats. How they adapt to their niches and what roles they play in ecology remain largely unknown. The genus Tetrahymena is among the best-studied groups of ciliates and one particular species, Tetrahymena thermophila, is a well-known laboratory model organism in cell and molecular biology, making it an excellent candidate for study in protist ecology. Here, based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1) gene barcoding, we identify a total of 19 different putative Tetrahymena species and two closely related Glaucoma lineages isolated from distinct natural habitats, of which 13 are new species. These latter include 11 Tetrahymena species found in the bladder traps of Utricularia plants, the most species-rich and widely distributed aquatic carnivorous plant, thus revealing a previously unknown but significant symbiosis of Tetrahymena species living among the microbial community of Utricularia bladder traps. Additional species were collected using an artificial trap method we have developed. We show that diverse Tetrahymena species may live even within the same habitat and that their populations are highly dynamic, suggesting that the diversity and biomass of species worldwide is far greater than currently appreciated.
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15
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Gavelis GS, Gile GH. How did cyanobacteria first embark on the path to becoming plastids?: lessons from protist symbioses. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 365:5079637. [PMID: 30165400 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fny209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbioses between phototrophs and heterotrophs (a.k.a 'photosymbioses') are extremely common, and range from loose and temporary associations to obligate and highly specialized forms. In the history of life, the most transformative was the 'primary endosymbiosis,' wherein a cyanobacterium was engulfed by a eukaryote and became genetically integrated as a heritable photosynthetic organelle, or plastid. By allowing the rise of algae and plants, this event dramatically altered the biosphere, but its remote origin over one billion years ago has obscured the sequence of events leading to its establishment. Here, we review the genetic, physiological and developmental hurdles involved in early primary endosymbiosis. Since we cannot travel back in time to witness these evolutionary junctures, we will draw on examples of unicellular eukaryotes (protists) spanning diverse modes of photosymbiosis. We also review experimental approaches that could be used to recreate aspects of early primary endosymbiosis on a human timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S Gavelis
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Room 611, Life Science Tower E, 427 E, Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Gillian H Gile
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Room 611, Life Science Tower E, 427 E, Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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16
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Sirová D, Bárta J, Šimek K, Posch T, Pech J, Stone J, Borovec J, Adamec L, Vrba J. Hunters or farmers? Microbiome characteristics help elucidate the diet composition in an aquatic carnivorous plant. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:225. [PMID: 30558682 PMCID: PMC6297986 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0600-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Utricularia are rootless aquatic carnivorous plants which have recently attracted the attention of researchers due to the peculiarities of their miniaturized genomes. Here, we focus on a novel aspect of Utricularia ecophysiology-the interactions with and within the complex communities of microorganisms colonizing their traps and external surfaces. RESULTS Bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa inhabit the miniature ecosystem of the Utricularia trap lumen and are involved in the regeneration of nutrients from complex organic matter. By combining molecular methods, microscopy, and other approaches to assess the trap-associated microbial community structure, diversity, function, as well as the nutrient turn-over potential of bacterivory, we gained insight into the nutrient acquisition strategies of the Utricularia hosts. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that Utricularia traps can, in terms of their ecophysiological function, be compared to microbial cultivators or farms, which center around complex microbial consortia acting synergistically to convert complex organic matter, often of algal origin, into a source of utilizable nutrients for the plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Sirová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Bárta
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Šimek
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Posch
- Limnological Station, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, CH-8802, Kilchberg, Switzerland
| | - Jiří Pech
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - James Stone
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK-99775, USA
- Institute of Experimental Botany CAS, Rozvojová 263, CZ-16502, Praha 6-Lysolaje, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Borovec
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany CAS, Dukelská 135, CZ-37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Vrba
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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17
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Lima FR, Ferreira AJ, Menezes CG, Miranda VFO, Dourado MN, Araújo WL. Cultivated bacterial diversity associated with the carnivorous plant Utricularia breviscapa (Lentibulariaceae) from floodplains in Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2018; 49:714-722. [PMID: 29661568 PMCID: PMC6175710 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous plant species, such as Utricularia spp., capture and digest prey. This digestion can occur through the secretion of plant digestive enzymes and/or by bacterial digestive enzymes. To comprehend the physiological mechanisms of carnivorous plants, it is essential to understand the microbial diversity related to these plants. Therefore, in the present study, we isolated and classified bacteria from different organs of Utricularia breviscapa (stolons and utricles) and from different geographic locations (São Paulo and Mato Grosso). We were able to build the first bacterium collection for U. breviscapa and study the diversity of cultivable bacteria. The results show that U. breviscapa bacterial diversity varied according to the geographic isolation site (São Paulo and Mato Grosso) but not the analyzed organs (utricle and stolon). We reported that six genera were common to both sample sites (São Paulo and Mato Grosso). These genera have previously been reported to be beneficial to plants, as well as related to the bioremediation process, showing that these isolates present great biotechnological and agricultural potential. This is the first report of an Acidobacteria isolated from U. breviscapa. The role of these bacteria inside the plant must be further investigated in order to understand their population dynamics within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Rezende Lima
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Núcleo Integrado de Biotecnologia, NIB, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, Centro cívico, 08780-911 Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil
| | - Almir José Ferreira
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Núcleo Integrado de Biotecnologia, NIB, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, Centro cívico, 08780-911 Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristine Gobbo Menezes
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Centro, 14884-900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Vitor Fernandes Oliveira Miranda
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Centro, 14884-900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Manuella Nóbrega Dourado
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Welington Luiz Araújo
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374-Ed. Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Núcleo Integrado de Biotecnologia, NIB, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, Centro cívico, 08780-911 Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil.
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18
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Corrigendum to “The Green Tetrahymena utriculariae
n. sp. (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) with Its Endosymbiotic Algae ( Micractinium
sp.), Living in Traps of a Carnivorous Aquatic Plant by Pitsch et al”. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2017; 64:903. [DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Lanzoni O, Fokin SI, Lebedeva N, Migunova A, Petroni G, Potekhin A. Rare Freshwater Ciliate Paramecium chlorelligerum Kahl, 1935 and Its Macronuclear Symbiotic Bacterium "Candidatus Holospora parva". PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167928. [PMID: 27992463 PMCID: PMC5161471 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ciliated protists often form symbioses with many diverse microorganisms. In particular, symbiotic associations between ciliates and green algae, as well as between ciliates and intracellular bacteria, are rather wide-spread in nature. In this study, we describe the complex symbiotic system between a very rare ciliate, Paramecium chlorelligerum, unicellular algae inhabiting its cytoplasm, and novel bacteria colonizing the host macronucleus. Paramecium chlorelligerum, previously found only twice in Germany, was retrieved from a novel location in vicinity of St. Petersburg in Russia. Species identification was based on both classical morphological methods and analysis of the small subunit rDNA. Numerous algae occupying the cytoplasm of this ciliate were identified with ultrastructural and molecular methods as representatives of the Meyerella genus, which before was not considered among symbiotic algae. In the same locality at least fifteen other species of "green" ciliates were found, thus it is indeed a biodiversity hot-spot for such protists. A novel species of bacterial symbionts living in the macronucleus of Paramecium chlorelligerum cells was morphologically and ultrastructurally investigated in detail with the description of its life cycle and infection capabilities. The new endosymbiont was molecularly characterized following the full-cycle rRNA approach. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the novel bacterium is a member of Holospora genus branching basally but sharing all characteristics of the genus except inducing connecting piece formation during the infected host nucleus division. We propose the name "Candidatus Holospora parva" for this newly described species. The described complex system raises new questions on how these microorganisms evolve and interact in symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergei I. Fokin
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Lebedeva
- Centre of Core Facilities “Culture Collections of Microorganisms”, Research Park, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexandra Migunova
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Alexey Potekhin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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