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Zhang Y, Li H, Wang Y, Nie M, Zhang K, Pan J, Zhang Y, Ye Z, Zufall RA, Lynch M, Long H. Mitogenomic architecture and evolution of the soil ciliates Colpoda. mSystems 2024; 9:e0116123. [PMID: 38259100 PMCID: PMC10878089 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01161-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Colpoda are cosmopolitan unicellular eukaryotes primarily inhabiting soil and benefiting plant growth, but they remain one of the least understood taxa in genetics and genomics within the realm of ciliated protozoa. Here, we investigate the architecture of de novo assembled mitogenomes of six Colpoda species, using long-read sequencing and involving 36 newly isolated natural strains in total. The mitogenome sizes span from 43 to 63 kbp and typically contain 28-33 protein-coding genes. They possess a linear structure with variable telomeres and central repeats, with one Colpoda elliotti strain isolated from Tibet harboring the longest telomeres among all studied ciliates. Phylogenomic analyses reveal that Colpoda species started to diverge more than 326 million years ago, eventually evolving into two distinct groups. Collinearity analyses also reveal significant genomic divergences and a lack of long collinear blocks. One of the most notable features is the exceptionally high level of gene rearrangements between mitochondrial genomes of different Colpoda species, dominated by gene loss events. Population-level mitogenomic analysis on natural strains also demonstrates high sequence divergence, regardless of geographic distance, but the gene order remains highly conserved within species, offering a new species identification criterion for Colpoda species. Furthermore, we identified underlying heteroplasmic sites in the majority of strains of three Colpoda species, albeit without a discernible recombination signal to account for this heteroplasmy. This comprehensive study systematically unveils the mitogenomic structure and evolution of these ancient and ecologically significant Colpoda ciliates, thus laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of the evolution of unicellular eukaryotes.IMPORTANCEColpoda, one of the most widespread ciliated protozoa in soil, are poorly understood in regard to their genetics and evolution. Our research revealed extreme mitochondrial gene rearrangements dominated by gene loss events, potentially leading to the streamlining of Colpoda mitogenomes. Surprisingly, while interspecific rearrangements abound, our population-level mitogenomic study revealed a conserved gene order within species, offering a potential new identification criterion. Phylogenomic analysis traced their lineage over 326 million years, revealing two distinct groups. Substantial genomic divergence might be associated with the lack of extended collinear blocks and relaxed purifying selection. This study systematically reveals Colpoda ciliate mitogenome structures and evolution, providing insights into the survival and evolution of these vital soil microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Haichao Li
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yaohai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Mu Nie
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Kexin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jiao Pan
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- School of Mathematics Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhiqiang Ye
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Rebecca A. Zufall
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael Lynch
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Hongan Long
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
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Bétermier M, Klobutcher LA, Orias E. Programmed chromosome fragmentation in ciliated protozoa: multiple means to chromosome ends. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0018422. [PMID: 38009915 PMCID: PMC10732028 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00184-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYCiliated protozoa undergo large-scale developmental rearrangement of their somatic genomes when forming a new transcriptionally active macronucleus during conjugation. This process includes the fragmentation of chromosomes derived from the germline, coupled with the efficient healing of the broken ends by de novo telomere addition. Here, we review what is known of developmental chromosome fragmentation in ciliates that have been well-studied at the molecular level (Tetrahymena, Paramecium, Euplotes, Stylonychia, and Oxytricha). These organisms differ substantially in the fidelity and precision of their fragmentation systems, as well as in the presence or absence of well-defined sequence elements that direct excision, suggesting that chromosome fragmentation systems have evolved multiple times and/or have been significantly altered during ciliate evolution. We propose a two-stage model for the evolution of the current ciliate systems, with both stages involving repetitive or transposable elements in the genome. The ancestral form of chromosome fragmentation is proposed to have been derived from the ciliate small RNA/chromatin modification process that removes transposons and other repetitive elements from the macronuclear genome during development. The evolution of this ancestral system is suggested to have potentiated its replacement in some ciliate lineages by subsequent fragmentation systems derived from mobile genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Bétermier
- Department of Genome Biology, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lawrence A. Klobutcher
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UCONN Health (University of Connecticut), Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Eduardo Orias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Zhao Y, Langlois GA. Ciliate Morpho-Taxonomy and Practical Considerations before Deploying Metabarcoding to Ciliate Community Diversity Surveys in Urban Receiving Waters. Microorganisms 2022; 10. [PMID: 36557765 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Disentangling biodiversity and community assembly effects on ecosystem function has always been an important topic in ecological research. The development and application of a DNA metabarcoding method has fundamentally changed the way we describe prokaryotic communities and estimate biodiversity. Compared to prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), the eukaryotic microbes (unicellular eukaryotes) also fulfill extremely important ecological functions in different ecosystems regarding their intermediate trophic positions. For instance, ciliated microbes (accounting for a substantial portion of the diversity of unicellular eukaryotes) perform pivotal roles in microbial loops and are essential components in different ecosystems, especially in water purification processes. Therefore, the community composition of ciliated species has been widely utilized as a proxy for water quality and biological assessment in urban river ecosystems and WWTPs (wastewater treatment plants). Unfortunately, investigating the dynamic changes and compositions in ciliate communities relies heavily on existing morpho-taxonomical descriptions, which is limited by traditional microscopic approaches. To deal with this dilemma, we discuss the DNA-based taxonomy of ciliates, the relative merits and challenges of deploying its application using DNA metabarcoding for surveys of ciliate community diversity in urban waterbodies, and provide suggestions for minimizing relevant sources of biases in its implementation. We expect that DNA metabarcoding could untangle relationships between community assembly and environmental changes affecting ciliate communities. These analyses and discussions could offer a replicable method in support of the application of evaluating communities of ciliated protozoa as indicators of urban freshwater ecosystems.
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Zhou Y, Fu L, Mochizuki K, Xiong J, Miao W, Wang G. Absolute quantification of chromosome copy numbers in the polyploid macronucleus of Tetrahymena thermophila at the single-cell level. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12907. [PMID: 35313044 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Amitosis is widespread among eukaryotes, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The polyploid macronucleus (MAC) of unicellular ciliates divides by amitosis, making ciliates a potentially valuable model system to study this process. However, a method to accurately quantify the copy number of MAC chromosomes has not yet been established. Here we used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to quantify the absolute copy number of the MAC chromosomes in Tetrahymena thermophila. We first confirmed that ddPCR is a sensitive and reproducible method to determine accurate chromosome copy numbers at the single-cell level. We then used ddPCR to determine the copy number of different MAC chromosomes by analyzing individual T. thermophila cells in the G1 and the amitotic (AM) phases. The average copy number of MAC chromosomes was 90.9 at G1 phase, approximately half the number at AM phase (189.8). The copy number of each MAC chromosome varied among individual cells in G1 phase and correlated with cell size, suggesting that amitosis accompanied by unequal cytokinesis causes copy number variability. Furthermore, the fact that MAC chromosome copy number is less variable among AM-phase cells suggests that the copy number is standardized by regulating DNA replication. We also demonstrated that copy numbers differ among different MAC chromosomes and that interchromosomal variations in copy number are consistent across individual cells. Our findings demonstrate that ddPCR can be used to model amitosis in T. thermophila and possibly in other ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Fu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kazufumi Mochizuki
- Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Guangying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
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5
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Jiang L, Zhuang W, El-Serehy HA, Al-Farraj SA, Warren A, Hu X. Taxonomy and Molecular Phylogeny of Two New Species of Prostomatean Ciliates With Establishment of Foissnerophrys gen. n. (Alveolata, Ciliophora). Front Microbiol 2021; 12:686929. [PMID: 34220776 PMCID: PMC8250431 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.686929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostomatean ciliates play important roles in the flow of material and energy in aquatic microbial food webs, and thus have attracted wide attention for over a century. Their taxonomy and systematics are, however, still poorly understood because of their relatively few taxonomically informative morphological characters. In this study, two new prostomateans, Lagynus binucleatus sp. n. and Foissnerophrys alveolata gen. n., sp. n., collected from a freshwater pool and the intertidal zone of a sandy beach, respectively, in Qingdao, China, are investigated using living observation, protargol staining, and SSU rRNA gene sequencing methods. The genus Lagynus is redefined, and the new species L. binucleatus sp. n. is established based on significant morphological differences with similar forms. Furthermore, a new genus, Foissnerophrys gen. n., is established based on a combination of morphological and molecular data with F. alveaolata sp. n. the type species by monotypy. The identities of intracellular prokaryotes of these two new species are discussed based on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) data and newly obtained 16S rRNA gene sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Jiang
- College of Fisheries and Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenbao Zhuang
- College of Fisheries and Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Hamed A El-Serehy
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Al-Farraj
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- College of Fisheries and Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
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6
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Petrič D, Mravčáková D, Kucková K, Kišidayová S, Cieslak A, Szumacher-Strabel M, Huang H, Kolodziejski P, Lukomska A, Slusarczyk S, Čobanová K, Váradyová Z. Corrigendum: Impact of Zinc and/or Herbal Mixture on Ruminal Fermentation, Microbiota, and Histopathology in Lambs. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:660794. [PMID: 33681338 PMCID: PMC7926268 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.660794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.630971.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Petrič
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Dominika Mravčáková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Kucková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Svetlana Kišidayová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Adam Cieslak
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Haihao Huang
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Pawel Kolodziejski
- Department of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Biostructure, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Lukomska
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Sylwester Slusarczyk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Botany, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Klaudia Čobanová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zora Váradyová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
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7
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Petrič D, Mravčáková D, Kucková K, Kišidayová S, Cieslak A, Szumacher-Strabel M, Huang H, Kolodziejski P, Lukomska A, Slusarczyk S, Čobanová K, Váradyová Z. Impact of Zinc and/or Herbal Mixture on Ruminal Fermentation, Microbiota, and Histopathology in Lambs. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:630971. [PMID: 33585621 PMCID: PMC7876273 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.630971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the effect of diets containing organic zinc and a mixture of medicinal herbs on ruminal microbial fermentation and histopathology in lambs. Twenty-eight lambs were divided into four groups: unsupplemented animals (Control), animals supplemented with organic zinc (Zn, 70 mg Zn/kg diet), animals supplemented with a mixture of dry medicinal herbs (Herbs, 100 g dry matter (DM)/d) and animals supplemented with both zinc and herbs (Zn+Herbs). Each lamb was fed a basal diet composed of meadow hay (700 g DM/d) and barley (300 g DM/d). The herbs Fumaria officinalis L. (FO), Malva sylvestris L. (MS), Artemisia absinthium L. (AA) and Matricaria chamomilla L. (MC) were mixed in equal proportions. The lambs were slaughtered after 70 d. The ruminal contents were used to determine the parameters of fermentation in vitro and in vivo and to quantify the microbes by molecular and microscopic methods. Samples of fresh ruminal tissue were used for histopathological evaluation. Quantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds in FO, MS, AA, and MC identified 3.961, 0.654, 6.482, and 12.084 g/kg DM phenolic acids and 12.211, 6.479, 0.349, and 2.442 g/kg DM flavonoids, respectively. The alkaloid content in FO was 6.015 g/kg DM. The diets affected the levels of total gas, methane and n-butyrate in vitro (P < 0.046, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). Relative quantification by real-time PCR indicated a lower total ruminal bacterial population in the lambs in the Zn and Zn+Herbs groups than the Control group (P < 0.05). The relative abundances of Ruminococcus albus, R. flavefaciens, Streptococcus bovis, and Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus shifted in the Zn group. Morphological observation found a focally mixed infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria of the rumen in the Zn+Herbs group. The effect of the organic zinc and the herbal mixture on the parameters of ruminal fermentation in vitro was not confirmed in vivo, perhaps because the ruminal microbiota of the lambs adapted to the zinc-supplemented diets. Long-term supplementation of a diet combining zinc and medicinal herbs, however, may negatively affect the health of the ruminal epithelium of lambs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Petrič
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Dominika Mravčáková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Kucková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Svetlana Kišidayová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Adam Cieslak
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Haihao Huang
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Pawel Kolodziejski
- Department of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Biostructure, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Lukomska
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Sylwester Slusarczyk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Botany, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Klaudia Čobanová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zora Váradyová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
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8
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Wang G, Fu L, Xiong J, Mochizuki K, Fu Y, Miao W. Identification and Characterization of Base-Substitution Mutations in the Macronuclear Genome of the Ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evaa232. [PMID: 33146387 PMCID: PMC7788487 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyploidy can provide adaptive advantages and drive evolution. Amitotic division of the polyploid macronucleus (MAC) in ciliates acts as a nonsexual genetic mechanism to enhance adaptation to stress conditions and thus provides a unique model to investigate the evolutionary role of polyploidy. Mutation is the primary source of the variation responsible for evolution and adaptation; however, to date, de novo mutations that occur in ciliate MAC genomes during these processes have not been characterized and their biological impacts are undefined. Here, we carried out long-term evolution experiments to directly explore de novo MAC mutations and their molecular features in the model ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila. A simple but effective method was established to detect base-substitution mutations in evolving populations whereas filtering out most of the false positive base-substitutions caused by repetitive sequences and the programmed genome rearrangements. The detected mutations were rigorously validated using the MassARRAY system. Validated mutations showed a strong G/C→A/T bias, consistent with observations in other species. Moreover, a progressive increase in growth rate of the evolving populations suggested that some of these mutations might be responsible for cell fitness. The established mutation identification and validation methods will be an invaluable resource to make ciliates an important model system to study the role of polyploidy in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Lu Fu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Kazufumi Mochizuki
- Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), CNRS, University of Montpellier, France
| | - Yunxin Fu
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science and Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming, China
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9
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Groch KR, Díaz-Delgado J, Santos-Neto EB, Ikeda JMP, Carvalho RR, Oliveira RB, Guari EB, Flach L, Sierra E, Godinho AI, Fernández A, Keid LB, Soares RM, Kanamura CT, Favero C, Ferreira-Machado E, Sacristán C, Porter BF, Bisi TL, Azevedo AF, Lailson-Brito J, Catão-Dias JL. The Pathology of Cetacean Morbillivirus Infection and Comorbidities in Guiana Dolphins During an Unusual Mortality Event (Brazil, 2017-2018). Vet Pathol 2020; 57:845-857. [PMID: 32964811 DOI: 10.1177/0300985820954550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV; Paramyxoviridae) is the most significant pathogen of cetaceans worldwide. The novel "multi-host" Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis; GD)-CeMV strain is reported in South American waters and infects Guiana dolphins and southern right whales (Eubalaena australis). This study aimed to describe the pathologic findings, GD-CeMV viral antigen distribution and detection by RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction), and infectious comorbidities in 29 Guiana dolphins that succumbed during an unusual mass-mortality event in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, between November 2017 and March 2018. The main gross findings were lack of ingesta, pulmonary edema, ascites, icterus, hepatic lipidosis, multicentric lymphadenomegaly, as well as pneumonia, polyserositis, and multiorgan vasculitis caused by Halocercus brasiliensis. Microscopically, the primary lesions were bronchointerstitial pneumonia and multicentric lymphoid depletion. The severity and extent of the lesions paralleled the distribution and intensity of morbilliviral antigen. For the first time in cetaceans, morbilliviral antigen was detected in salivary gland, optic nerve, heart, diaphragm, parietal and visceral epithelium of glomeruli, vulva, and thyroid gland. Viral antigen within circulating leukocytes suggested this as a mechanism of dissemination within the host. Comorbidities included disseminated toxoplasmosis, mycosis, ciliated protozoosis, and bacterial disease including brucellosis. These results provide strong evidence for GD-CeMV as the main cause of this unusual mass-mortality event.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Josué Díaz-Delgado
- 28133University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,67283Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Joana M P Ikeda
- 28130Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael R Carvalho
- 28130Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raissa B Oliveira
- 28130Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Emi B Guari
- 28130Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Flach
- Instituto Boto Cinza, Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eva Sierra
- 16750University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Ana I Godinho
- 16750University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernández
- 16750University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Lara B Keid
- 28133University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Tatiana L Bisi
- 28130Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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10
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Petrič D, Mravčáková D, Kucková K, Čobanová K, Kišidayová S, Cieslak A, Ślusarczyk S, Váradyová Z. Effect of dry medicinal plants (wormwood, chamomile, fumitory and mallow) on in vitro ruminal antioxidant capacity and fermentation patterns of sheep. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2020; 104:1219-1232. [PMID: 32202350 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dry medicinal plants (wormwood, chamomile, fumitory and mallow) and dietary substrates containing a mix of the plants on the end products of in vitro ruminal and intestinal fermentation, rumen protozoan population and ruminal antioxidant capacity of sheep. The experiment consisted of fermentations with the four plants used individually as the sole substrate and fermentation of a mix of medicinal plants (Plants): meadow hay:barley grain (MH:B), 700/300 w/w and Plants:MH:B, 100/600/300 w/w/w. The experiment was conducted using the in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) with 35 ml of buffered inocula and approximately 250 mg (DM basis) of substrate incubated for 24 hr at 39°C in anaerobic conditions. Quantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds by ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry in Plants identified three main groups: flavonoids (22 mg/g DM), phenolic acids (15 mg/g DM) and alkaloids (3 mg/g DM). The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the plant extracts and rumen fluid was analysed using a ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. The values of total and individual short-chain fatty acids, acetate:propionate ratio, pH and total gas production were significantly affected by the single plant substrates and inocula (p < .001). Apart from these parameters, the values of ammonia N, methane production and total gas produced were decreased in Plants:MH:B in comparison with MH:B (p < .001). A positive correlation was recorded between total polyphenols content and TAC of plant extracts (R2 = .778, p < .001). The counts of the total ciliate protozoan population in rumen fluid after 24 hr of fermentation were not significantly different (p > .05). Results suggest that the dietary substrate containing the medicinal plant mix possessed strong ruminal antioxidant capacity, had the potential to reduce methane emission and ammonia concentration and caused desirable changes in the gastrointestinal ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Petrič
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Dominika Mravčáková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Katarína Kucková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Klaudia Čobanová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Svetlana Kišidayová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Adam Cieslak
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Sylwester Ślusarczyk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Botany, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Zora Váradyová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
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11
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Pan N, Bhatti MZ, Zhang H, Ni B, Fan X, Chen J. The Encystment-Related MicroRNAs and Its Regulation Molecular Mechanism in Pseudourostyla cristata Revealed by High Throughput Small RNA Sequencing. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072309. [PMID: 32225121 PMCID: PMC7177753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the expression of target genes in diverse cellular processes and play important roles in different physiological processes. However, little is known about the microRNAome (miRNAome) during encystment of ciliated protozoa. In the current study, we first investigated the differentially expressed miRNAs and relative signaling pathways participating in the transformation of vegetative cells into dormant cysts of Pseudourostyla cristata (P. cristata). A total of 1608 known miRNAs were found in the two libraries. There were 165 miRNAs with 1217 target miRNAs. The total number of differential miRNAs screened between vegetative cells and dormant cysts databases were 449 with p < 0.05 and |log2 fold changes| > 1. Among them, the upregulated and downregulated miRNAs were 243 and 206, respectively. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that some of the differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly associated with oxidative phosphorylation, two-component system, and biosynthesis of amino acids. Combining with our bioinformatics analyzes, some differentially expressed miRNAs including miR-143, miR-23b-3p, miR-28, and miR-744-5p participates in the encystment of P. cristata. Based on these findings, we propose a hypothetical signaling network of miRNAs regulating or promoting P. cristata encystment. This study shed new lights on the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in encystment of ciliated protozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Pan
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; (N.P.); (B.N.)
| | - Muhammad Zeeshan Bhatti
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; (M.Z.B.); (H.Z.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
| | - Haiyang Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; (M.Z.B.); (H.Z.)
| | - Bing Ni
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; (N.P.); (B.N.)
| | - Xinpeng Fan
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; (N.P.); (B.N.)
- Correspondence: ;
| | - Jiwu Chen
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; (N.P.); (B.N.)
- Correspondence: ;
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12
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Pan B, Chen X, Hou L, Zhang Q, Qu Z, Warren A, Miao M. Comparative Genomics Analysis of Ciliates Provides Insights on the Evolutionary History Within "Nassophorea-Synhymenia-Phyllopharyngea" Assemblage. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2819. [PMID: 31921016 PMCID: PMC6920121 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ciliated protists (ciliates) are widely used for investigating evolution, mostly due to their successful radiation after their early evolutionary branching. In this study, we employed high-throughput sequencing technology to reveal the phylogenetic position of Synhymenia, as well as two classes Nassophorea and Phyllopharyngea, which have been a long-standing puzzle in the field of ciliate systematics and evolution. We obtained genomic and transcriptomic data from single cells of one synhymenian (Chilodontopsis depressa) and six other species of phyllopharyngeans (Chilodochona sp., Dysteria derouxi, Hartmannula sinica, Trithigmostoma cucullulus, Trochilia petrani, and Trochilia sp.). Phylogenomic analysis based on 157 orthologous genes comprising 173,835 amino acid residues revealed the affiliation of C. depressa within the class Phyllopharyngea, and the monophyly of Nassophorea, which strongly support the assignment of Synhymenia as a subclass within the class Phyllopharyngea. Comparative genomic analyses further revealed that C. depressa shares more orthologous genes with the class Nassophorea than with Phyllopharyngea, and the stop codon usage in C. depressa resembles that of Phyllopharyngea. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that biological pathways in C. depressa are more similar to Phyllopharyngea than Nassophorea. These results suggest that genomic and transcriptomic data can be used to provide insights into the evolutionary relationships within the "Nassophorea-Synhymenia-Phyllopharyngea" assemblage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pan
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lina Hou
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, China
| | - Zhishuai Qu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Ecology Group, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Alan Warren
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Miao Miao
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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13
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Candelori A, Yamamoto TG, Iwamoto M, Montani M, Amici A, Vallesi A. Subcellular Targeting of the Euplotes raikovi Kinase Er-MAPK1, as Revealed by Expression in Different Cell Systems. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:244. [PMID: 31681773 PMCID: PMC6811501 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the ciliate Euplotes raikovi, a 631-amino acid Er-MAPK1 protein kinase was found to localize in nucleoli of the transcriptionally active nucleus (macronucleus) and act as a key component of an autocrine, cell-growth promoting self-signaling mechanism. While its 283-amino acid N-terminal domain includes all the structural specificities of the mitogen-activated protein kinases required for a catalytic function, the 348-amino acid C-terminal domain is structurally unique with undetermined functions. By expressing the two Er-MAPK1 domains tagged with the green fluorescent protein in mammalian fibroblasts, the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, evidence was obtained that the C-terminal domain contains all the sequence information responsible for the Er-MAPK1 subcellular localization. However, in fibroblasts and S. pombe this information determined a nucleolar localization of the GFP-tagged C-terminal domain, and a ciliary localization in T. thermophila. In the light of these findings, the Er-MAPK1 localization in E. raikovi was re-examined via immunoreactions and shown to be ciliary besides that nuclear, as is the case for the mammalian intestinal cell kinase with which the Er-MAPK1 N-terminal domain shares a strong sequence identity and a catalytic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Candelori
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Takaharu G Yamamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Maura Montani
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Augusto Amici
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Adriana Vallesi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
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14
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Abstract
Mutation is one of the most fundamental evolutionary forces. Studying variation in the mutation rate within and among closely-related species can help reveal mechanisms of genome divergence, but such variation is unstudied in the vast majority of organisms. Previous studies on ciliated protozoa have found extremely low mutation rates. In this study, using mutation-accumulation techniques combined with deep whole-genome sequencing, we explore the germline base-substitution mutation-rate variation of three cryptic species in the Paramecium aurelia species complex—P. biaurelia, P. sexaurelia, and P. tetraurelia. We find that there is extremely limited variation of the mutation rate and spectrum in the three species and confirm the extremely low mutation rate of ciliates.
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15
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Abstract
Despite playing a crucial role in germline-soma differentiation, the evolutionary significance of developmentally regulated genome rearrangements (DRGRs) has received scant attention. An example of DRGR is DNA splicing, a process that removes segments of DNA interrupting genic and/or intergenic sequences. Perhaps, best known for shaping immune-system genes in vertebrates, DNA splicing plays a central role in the life of ciliated protozoa, where thousands of germline DNA segments are eliminated after sexual reproduction to regenerate a functional somatic genome. Here, we identify and chronicle the properties of 5,286 sequences that putatively undergo DNA splicing (i.e., internal eliminated sequences [IESs]) across the genomes of three closely related species of the ciliate Paramecium (P. tetraurelia, P. biaurelia, and P. sexaurelia). The study reveals that these putative IESs share several physical characteristics. Although our results are consistent with excision events being largely conserved between species, episodes of differential IES retention/excision occur, may have a recent origin, and frequently involve coding regions. Our findings indicate interconversion between somatic--often coding--DNA sequences and noncoding IESs, and provide insights into the role of DNA splicing in creating potentially functional genetic innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Catania
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Germany
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16
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Talebzadeh R, Alipour D. The effect of ajowan (Carum copticum L.) essential oils on eukaryotic ruminal microorganisms of Mehraban sheep. Iran J Microbiol 2013; 5:418-21. [PMID: 25848515 PMCID: PMC4385171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Essential oils may improve the utilization of nutrients by ruminal microorganisms. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different doses of ajowan essential oils (AEO) on growth and fibrolytic activity of anaerobic fungi, and generic distribution of ciliated protozoa (in vitro). MATERIAL AND METHODS Different doses of AEO (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 ppm) were added to experimental tubes. The effect of AEO was evaluated on growth and fibrolytic enzyme activity of an anaerobic fungus (Neocalimastix spp.). Generic distribution of ciliated protozoa were evaluated in response to different doses of AEO. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The growth of fungus (Neocalimastix spp.) were inhibited and activity of fibrolytic enzymes of fungus were reduced by adding AEO. Also, an inhibitory effect was seen in concentration of ciliated protozoa and some genus were completely disappeared at the doses of 300 ppm and higher. The doses used in this study reduced the fibrolytic activity of the studied rumen microorganisms which is undesirable in practical animal nutrition. Further research is needed to assess the effects of AEO at lower doses on these parameters and also proteolysis and methanogenesis.
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17
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Klimek B, Fyda J, Pajdak-Stós A, Kocerba W, Fiałkowska E, Sobczyk M. Toxicity of ammonia nitrogen to ciliated protozoa Stentor coeruleus and Coleps hirtus isolated from activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2012; 89:975-977. [PMID: 22976439 PMCID: PMC3464382 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-012-0816-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the toxicity of ammonia ions to Stentor coeruleus and Coleps hirtus (Protozoa) isolated from activated sludge taken from two municipal wastewater treatment plants in southern Poland. Stentor coeruleus is a rarely occurring species in activated sludge, unlike the widespread Coleps hirtus. The mean LC50 values (concentration causing 50 % mortality) calculated for the 24 h tests differed hugely between the tested species: 43.03 mg NH(4+) dm(-3) for Stentor coeruleus and 441.12 mg NH(4+) dm(-3) for Coleps hirtus. The ammonia ion concentration apparently is an important factor in the occurrence of these protozoan species in activated sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Klimek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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18
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Lekomtsev S, Kolosov P, Bidou L, Frolova L, Rousset JP, Kisselev L. Different modes of stop codon restriction by the Stylonychia and Paramecium eRF1 translation termination factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:10824-9. [PMID: 17573528 PMCID: PMC1904165 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0703887104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In universal-code eukaryotes, a single-translation termination factor, eukaryote class-1 polypeptide release factor (eRF1), decodes the three stop codons: UAA, UAG, and UGA. In some ciliates, like Stylonychia and Paramecium, eRF1s exhibit UGA-only decoding specificity, whereas UAG and UAA are reassigned as sense codons. Because variant-code ciliates may have evolved from universal-code ancestor(s), structural features should exist in ciliate eRF1s that restrict their stop codon recognition. In omnipotent eRF1s, stop codon recognition is associated with the N-terminal domain of the protein. Using both in vitro and in vivo assays, we show here that chimeric molecules composed of the N-terminal domain of Stylonychia eRF1 fused to the core domain (MC domain) of human eRF1 retained specificity toward UGA; this unambiguously associates eRF1 stop codon specificity to the nature of its N-terminal domain. Functional analysis of eRF1 chimeras constructed by swapping ciliate N-terminal domain sequences with the matching ones from the human protein highlighted the crucial role of the tripeptide QFM in restricting Stylonychia eRF1 specificity toward UGA. Using the site-directed mutagenesis, we show that Paramecium eRF1 specificity toward UGA resides within the NIKS (amino acids 61-64) and YxCxxxF (amino acids 124-131) motifs. Thus, we establish that eRF1 from two different ciliates relies on different molecular mechanisms to achieve specificity toward the UGA stop codon. This finding suggests that eRF1 restriction of specificity to only UGA might have been an early event occurring in independent instances in ciliate evolutionary history, possibly facilitating the reassignment of UAG and UAA to sense codons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Lekomtsev
- *Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 8621, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay, France; and
| | - Petr Kolosov
- *Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Laure Bidou
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 8621, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay, France; and
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Ludmila Frolova
- *Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Jean-Pierre Rousset
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 8621, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay, France; and
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Lev Kisselev
- *Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
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