Ciliated Protozoa

Análisis de la composición de los ciliados en la interfase termoclina y/o oxiclina en lagos cráter de la Cuenca Oriental, Puebla TESIS Que para obtener el título de Bióloga P R E S E N T A: Ma M Co M Co M Ma Ma M Co M Ma M Ma M Co M Co M Ma M Co M

Perikanan merupakan suatu bidang ilmu yang terus berubah dan berkembang karena ikan merupakan produk utama dari subsektor perikanan yng merupakan salah stu penghasil protein hewani bagi manusia, terutma dalam bentuk lauk pauk yang amat digemari oleh masyarakat Indonesia. Salah satu kendala dalam usaha peningkatn dan pengembangan perikanan adalah masalah penyakitpenyakit yang sering menyerang pada ikan. Diantara penyakit-penyakit tersebut adalah penyakit infeksi yang diakibatkan oleh parasit, virus, bakteri, dan jamur (Nurdiyanto dan Sumartono, 2006). Penyakit ikan adalah sesuatu yang dapat menimbulkan gangguan pada ikan, baik secara langsung maupun tidak langsung. Gangguan terhadap ikan dapat disebabkan oleh organisme lain, pakan, maupun kondisi lingkungan yang kurang menunjang kehidupan ikan. Jadi, timbulnya serangan penyakit ikan di kolam terjadi karena interaksi yang tidak serasi antara ikan, kondisi lingkungan, dan patogen. Interaksi yang tidak serasi tersebut menyebabkan stres pada ikan, sehingga mekanisme pertahanan tubuh ikan menurun dan akhirnya mudah diserang penyakit (Suwarsito dan Mustafidah, 2011). Penyakit ikan dibedakan menjadi dua, yaitu penyakit infeksi (oleh bakteri, virus, parasit, dan jamur) dan penyakit non-infeksi (stres, tumor, gangguan gii, pakan, dan traumatik). Sedangkan sumber penyakit yang sering menyerang ikan di kolam dikelompokkan menjadi 3, yaitu: (1) hama, (2) parasiter, dan (3) nonparasiter. Hama adalah hewan yang berukuran lebih besar dan mampu menimbulkan gangguan pada ikan, yang terdiri dari predator, kompetitor, dan pencuri. Parasiter adalah penyakit yang disebabkan oleh aktifitas organisme parasit, seperti virus, bakteri, jamur, protozoa, dan udang renik. Non-parasiter adalah penyakit yang disebabkan oleh lingkungan, pakan, dan keturunan. Berdasarkan daerah penyerangannya, penyakit yang disebabkan oleh parasit dibagi menjadi penyakit kulit, penyakit pada insang, dan penyakit pada organ dalam (Suwarsito dan Mustafidah, 2011).

Protease function is essential to many biological systems and processes. In parasites, proteases are essential for host tissue degradation, immune evasion, and nutrition acquisition. Helminths (worms) depend on several classes of proteases for development, host tissue invasion and migration, and for degradation of host hemoglobin and serum proteins. The protozoa, which cause malaria, depend on both cysteine and aspartic proteases to initiate host hemoglobin digestion. Other types of proteases are involved in erythrocyte cell invasion and cell exit. Surface metalloproteases in kinetoplastids are implicated in the evasion of complement-mediated cell lysis and cell entry. Cysteine proteases in Entamoeba facilitate invasion of the host colon. Giardia utilizes a cysteine protease for both encystation and excystation. This review will summarize published data using protease inhibitors as tools to identify the function of parasite proteases in the development, virulence, and pathogenesis of parasites; as well as the role of endogenous parasite protease inhibitors in regulation.

This book is about representations of the body in all fields (fine art, medicine, ethnography, racial studies, biology). It is intended for artists, art students, and people interested in theories of art. This is the 2021 revision. Every couple of years I rewrite and update this book. The original was published by Stanford University Press in 1999 and is now out of print. This revision (the third "edition") includes examples from contemporary art, and assignments for classroom use. All comments & questions are welcome!

White Syndrome (WS) and Brown Band Disease (BrB) are important causes of reef coral mortality for which causal agents have not been definitively identified. Here we use culture-independent molecular techniques (DGGE and clone libraries) to characterise ciliate and bacterial communities in these diseases. Bacterial (16S rRNA gene) and ciliate (18S rRNA gene) communities were highly similar between the two diseases. Four bacterial and nine ciliate ribotypes were observed in both diseases, but absent in non diseased specimens. Only one of the bacteria, Arcobacter sp. (JF831360) increased substantially in relative 16S rRNA gene abundance and was consistently represented in all diseased samples. Four of the eleven ciliate morphotypes detected contained coral algal symbionts, indicative of the ingestion of coral tissues. In both WS and BrB, there were two ciliate morphotypes consistently represented in all disease lesion samples. Morph1 (JN626268) was observed to burrow into and underneath the coral tissues at the lesion boundary. Morph2 (JN626269), previously identified in BrB, appears to play a secondary, less invasive role in pathogenesis, but has a higher population density in BrB, giving rise to the visible brown band. The strong similarity in bacterial and ciliate community composition of these diseases suggests that they are actually the same syndrome.

The results of author’s investigations and literary data on ciliates of the order Tintinnida observed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are summarized in the monograph. Book contains the general characteristic
of order, information on morphology of 51 species from 20 genera of 10 families, their longterm and seasonal dynamics in Sevastopol Bay of the Black Sea and peculiarities of tintinnid distribution.
English summaries of all chapters, including diagnoses of all species recorded in the Black and Azov Seas are included in the Appendix.
The monograph dedicated for hydrobiologists, zoologists, faunal researchers and taxonomists as for lecturers and students of higher education schools.

Paramecium bursaria is an unicellular organism that lives widely in fresh water environments such as rivers and ponds. Recent studies have suggested that in vivo cellular robotics using the cells of P. bursaria as micro-machines controllable under electrical and optical stimuli, has a variety of engineering applications such as transport of micro-sized particles in the capillary systems. The present study aimed to test if the swimming cells of P. bursaria, implementable in capillaries or on chips, are applicable for detection of metal ions. For model assays, rare earth elements (REEs) were chosen as target chemicals. In P. bursaria, LC 50 values for REE ions ranged between 2.0 and 62.7 µM. Among them, Sc was shown to be most toxic. In addition to the lethal impacts of REE ions, most of REE ions at sub-lethal concentrations at around 10-30 µM, showed inhibitory action against the motility of the cells during the electrically forced motility known as galvanotaxisis. In conclusion, in the non-lethal ranges of REE concentration, swimming cells of P. bursaria report the presence of REE ions, by lowering the motility.

Microscopy has revealed tremendous diversity of bacterial and eukaryotic forms. Recent molecular analyses show discordance in estimates of biodiversity between morphological and molecular analyses. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses of the diversity of microbial forms reveal evidence of convergence at scales as deep as interdomain: morphologies shared between bacteria and eukaryotes. Here, we highlight examples of such discordance, focusing on exemplary lineages such as testate amoebae, ciliates, and cyanobacteria. These have long histories of morphological study, enabling deeper analyses on both the molecular and morphological sides. We discuss examples in two main categories: (i) morphologically identical (or highly similar) individuals that are genetically distinct and (ii) morphologically distinct individuals that are genetically the same. We argue that hypotheses about discordance can be tested using the concept of neutral morphologies, or more broadly neutral phenotypes, as a null hypothesis.

A study of microfauna, associated with pathological changes in the gills of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., was conducted over 2001–2002. Monthly samples of 1+ salmon smolts were taken, protozoan populations were quantified and gill health was assessed histologically. Protozoan densities were correlated with pathological changes, in order to determine their possible role in lesions in the gills. The most severe gill tissue changes were observed in summer/autumn and the least in spring. A diverse polyphyletic protozoan community was observed colonizing the gills, including Neoparamoeba sp., other amoebae, scuticociliates, Ichthyobodo-like flagellates, trichodinid ciliates and prostomatean ciliates. The earlier gill tissue changes in the gill were not always associated with the presence of these microorganisms, whereas amoebae (other than Neoparamoeba sp.), Ichthyobodo-like flagellates and trichodinid ciliates correlated with augmenting gill lesions. Neoparamoeba sp. was present, but its abundance did not correlate with the disease. This study suggests that a diversity of protozoans including Ichthyobodo-like flagellates, trichodinid ciliates and amoebae other than Neoparamoeba sp. are involved in the aetiology of amoebic gill disease in the Irish situation.

Protozoan isolates from the gills of marine-reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts were cultured, cloned and 8 dominant isolates were studied in detail. The light and electron-microscopical characters of these isolates were examined, and 7 were identified to the generic level. Structure, ultrastructure, a species-specific immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and PCR verified the identity of the Neoparamoeba sp. isolate. Five other genera of amoebae, comprising Platyamoeba, Mayorella, Vexillifera, Flabellula, and Nolandella, a scuticociliate of the genus Paranophrys, and a trypanosomatid (tranosomatid-bodonid incertae sedis) accompanied Neoparamoeba sp. in the gills. The pathogenic potential of the isolated organisms, occurring in conjunction with Neoparamoeba sp. in the gills of cultured Atlantic salmon smolts in Ireland, remains to be investigated KEY WORDS: Amoebic gill disease · Neoparamoeba sp. · Amoebae · Platyamoeba sp. · Scuticociliates · Trypanosomatids Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

Colpodella gonderi is the only ectoparasitic flagellate of ciliated protozoa described thus far. This investigation reveals new records of C. gonderi retrieved from soil samples in southern Scotland, UK. Of fourteen ciliates species identified in one single occasion, three of them, Colpoda steinii, Pseudoplatyophrya nana and Grossglockneria acuta, were infested with the parasite. These results provide further evidence that C. gonderi is not host-specific of the ciliate genus Colpoda.

The vertical and temporal dynamics of total picoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates were monitored monthly from May 2002 to April 2003, along with environmental parameters, in Lake Faro, a meromictic coastal basin characterized by a permanently anoxic monimolimnion and sulfiderich bottom waters. A two-layer discrimination was delineated in the water column of the lake, based on the correlations between environmental and biological descriptors and on the ciliated protozoa community composition. The latter showed a clear zonation pattern along the water column with two main recognizable facies: a superficial and a deep one. Choreotrichida and Strombidiida dominated the upper facies nearly throughout the study period, while Tintinnida were only found in summer months. The mixotrophic cyclotrichid Myrionecta rubra was also frequently observed in the upper facies. Typical of the deep facies was the occurrence of Pleuronematida (Cyclidium sp.) and of flagellates of the order Cryptomonadida (Chilomonas sp.), which were the main potential picoplankton grazers during a summer bloom of photosynthetic sulfur bacteria. Sporadic inputs of Levantine Intermediate Waters (LIW) from the upwelling system of the Straits of Messina, although limited to the mixolimnion, clearly affected the physical and chemical environment, as well as the microbial biomass and the ciliated protozoa assemblage composition, all along the water column of the lake, suggesting that meromictic basins, although strongly stratified, may experience perturbation effects from the surface down to the bottom, with important consequences on their biogeochemical cycles and on their ecology.

They are prtozoans and are microscopic, not visible to the naked eyes. We are talking about Balantidium coli. It is a parasitic member of ciliate protozoans and causes a disease known as Balantidiasis. It is the only member of the ciliate group which is known to be pathogenic to humans. It is known to occur in two developmental stages known as the trophozoite stage and the cyst stage. The trophozoite is characterized by the presence of two nuclei. The macronucleus or the bigger nucleus is long and sausage shaped while the micronucleus or the smaller nucleus is spherical and present just behind the macronucleus. Micronucleus is sometimes hidden beneath macronucleus. An opening known as peristome is present at the pointed anterior end which continues into cytosome or mouth. Cysts are small in comparison to that of the trophozoites and are round in shape. They are often covered by one or two resistant layers. Usually only the macronucleus is visible in the cyst but sometimes the cilia and contractile vacuoles are also visible. Living trophozoites and cysts are yellowish or greenish in colour.

Samples of Dreissena polymorpha were collected at several sites along the River Shannon navigation in Ireland, to determine the occurrence and distribution of their obligate host-specific commensalistic ciliate, Conchophthirus acuminatus, in this newly invaded region. Mussels collected by various methods were fixed immediately in 75% ethanol, in which they were later dissected under a stereoscopic microscope, beginning with thorough flushing of the mantle cavity and removal of the gills. One ml of sediment flushed from the mantle cavity and dissection residue of each mussel was examined under a compound light microscope using brightfield, phase-contrast, and differential-interference-contrast optics. Of 180 mussels examined, 125 (69.44%) harbored C. acuminatus. The ciliates were invariably well fixed and easily identifiable in all preparations. Mean sampling intensity for infected mussels was 8.47 ciliates per ml of sediment. Both prevalence and sampling intensity varied between sites, but no pattern was discernible. The present results are consistent with other reports of C. acuminatus being the most widespread and abundant symbiont of D. polymorpha throughout Europe, often occurring where no other symbionts occur. Its occurrence in Ireland indicates introduction of the mussels as adults, since planktonic veliger larvae are not known to harbor ciliates. Following similar reasoning, it is possible that the earlier North American invasion by D. polymorpha included only veligers, since C. acuminatus has not been found on that continent. Using these simple and quick methods, the ciliates could be easily identified and counted to give general comparative data among sites regarding intensity and prevalence. Thus, this method has promise for future efforts to obtain basic information rapidly in newly invaded systems.

Recent advances in molecular technology have revolutionized research on all aspects of the biology of organisms, including ciliates, and created unprecedented opportunities for pursuing a more integrative approach to investigation of biodiversity. However, this goal is complicated by large gaps and inconsistencies that still exist in the foundation of basic information about biodiversity of ciliates. The present paper reviews issues relating to the taxonomy of ciliates and presents specific recommendations for best practice in the observation and documentation of their biodiversity. This effort stems from a workshop that explored ways to implement six Grand Challenges proposed by the International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN-BC). As part of its commitment to strengthening the knowledge base that supports research on biodiversity of ciliates, the IRCN-BC proposes to populate The Ciliate Guide, an online database, with biodiversity-related data and...

Two new species of astomatous ciliates (Dicontophrya minus n. sp. and Dicontophrya ebebdaensis n. sp.) endocommensal of Glossoscolecidae earthworms pertaining to the genus Alma are described using light-microscopy and a combination of staining techniques (pyridinated ammoniacal siver nitrate and DAPI). Studies reveal the existence of two distinct morphological types as evidence of morphological diversification within the genus Dicontophrya de Puytorac and Dragesco, 1969. In the first morphological type represented by Dicontophrya minus n. sp., the cell is ovoid (90 x 125 – 35 x 115 µm) with a ribbon like axial macronucleus flanked with a relatively big micronucleus (6.2 µm in diameter). In the second morphological type (Dicontophrya ebebdaensis n. sp.), the cell is elongated and wormlike (180 x 215 – 35 x 50 µm) with a nuclear apparatus composed of a long ribbon shape macronucleus (171.1 µm), bearing in its posterior half a globulous micronucleus. In the two cases cells bear in the anterior end a depression in which lodges a skeletal apparatus build in the same plan of organization (a modified V shaped skeletal branch bearing about 7 skeletal fibers) that characterize the genus.

Ova knjiga je zamišljena kao pregled savremenih znanja iz opšte protistologije, biološke nauke koja ima za cilj svestrano izučavanje fenotipske i genotipske prirode najstarijih eukariotskih organizama na Zemlji – protista. Knjiga je namenjena svima koji žele da saznaju više o protistima, odnosno da se upoznaju sa prirodom ovih interesantnih i zagonetnih organizama. Znanja iz protistologije obuhvaćena ovom knjigom su neophodna za razumevanje sistematike protista koja predstavlja izuzetno opširnu granu protistologije.

Imajući u vidu literaturu koja je dostupna na engleskom i ruskom jeziku, konstatovao sam da su poprilično oskudno i nesistematično obrađeni opšti pojmovi, odnosno opšte karakteristike protista. To mi je bio podstrek da započnem rad na sintezi i sistematizaciji znanja iz oblasti opšte protistologije. S obzirom na to da na prostorima Balkana do sada nije publikovana nijedna knjiga sa sličnom tematikom, odlučio sam da sve tekstove objedinim u knjizi čiji je cilj da na jednostavan i savremen način, sa mnoštvom ilustracija, prezentuje izuzetno obimnu i kompleksnu oblast kao što je opšta protistologija.

Biologiju druge polovine XX i početka XXI veka je obeležio izuzetan razvoj molekularne biologije koji je formirao veći broj generacija molekularnih biologa. S obzirom na to da su se znanja i iz ostalih bioloških nauka proširila, postalo je teško univerzitetima širom sveta da obrazuju stručnjake sa širokim biološkim obrazovanjem. Iz tog razloga su razdvojili obrazovanje molekularnih i klasičnih biologa još na osnovnim studijama. Kao posledica ovih reformi javili su se problemi, jer se ispostavilo da mnogi molekularni biolozi ne poznaju strukturnu prirodu i funkcionisanje organizama koje proučavaju sa molekularnog aspekta što vodi manje kvalitetnoj interpretaciji podataka koje dobijaju primenom molekularnih metoda. S obzirom na to da su protisti najslabije proučeni eukariotski organizmi sa aspekta molekularne biologije, oni sve više zaokupljaju pažnju novih generacija molekularnih biologa. Pri pisanju ove knjige sam imao u vidu i biologe molekularnog profila, te sam se trudio da približim prirodu protista sa klasičnog biološkog aspekta na što jednostavniji način. Ipak, i ovako napisana, knjiga zahteva od čitaoca najosnovnije obrazovanje iz različitih oblasti klasične biologije. Takođe, neka Vas ne zavara mali broj stranica – biće Vam potrebna snaga volje i dosta strpljenja za razumevanje ovako složene problematike.

S obzirom na to da su protisti tokom XIX i XX veka dosta proučavani i da se znanje o njima akumuliralo decenijama, osetio sam potrebu da izvršim podelu protistologije na veći broj oblasti. U drugoj polovini XX i početkom XXI veka došlo je do velikih promena u sistematici protista, a naročito se velika polemika vodi oko opravdanosti korišćenja metoda klasične klasifikacije, odnosno primene novih, kladističkih metoda. Iz tog razloga sam odlučio da u ovoj knjizi izbegnem korišćenje taksonomskih kategorija za grupe protista. Iako iz oblasti savremene sistematike protista ne postoji adekvatna literatura na srpskom jeziku, ona u ovoj knjizi nije obrađivana zbog toga što se radi o izuzetno obimnoj materiji, te ovaj krupan zalogaj ostaje zadatak za neku buduću publikaciju.

The vertical and temporal dynamics of total picoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates were monitored monthly from May 2002 to April 2003, along with environmental parameters, in Lake Faro, a meromictic coastal basin characterized by a permanently anoxic monimolimnion and sulfide-rich bottom waters. A two-layer discrimination was delineated in the water column of the lake, based on the correlations between environmental and biological descriptors and on the ciliated protozoa community composition. The latter showed a clear zonation pattern along the water column with two main recognizable facies: a superficial and a deep one. Choreotrichida and Strombidiida dominated the upper facies nearly throughout the study period, while Tintinnida were only found in summer months. The mixotrophic cyclotrichid Myrionecta rubra was also frequently observed in the upper facies. Typical of the deep facies was the occurrence of Pleuronematida (Cyclidium sp.) and of flagellates of the order Cryptomonadida (Chilomonas sp.), which were the main potential picoplankton grazers during a summer bloom of photosynthetic sulfur bacteria. Sporadic inputs of Levantine Intermediate Waters (LIW) from the upwelling system of the Straits of Messina, although limited to the mixolimnion, clearly affected the physical and chemical environment, as well as the microbial biomass and the ciliated protozoa assemblage composition, all along the water column of the lake, suggesting that meromictic basins, although strongly stratified, may experience perturbation effects from the surface down to the bottom, with important consequences on their biogeochemical cycles and on their ecology.

Recent advances in molecular technology have revolutionized research on all aspects of the biology of organisms, including ciliates, and created unprecedented opportunities for pursuing a more integrative approach to investigation of biodiversity. However, this goal is complicated by large gaps and inconsistencies that still exist in the foundation of basic information about biodiversity of ciliates. The present paper reviews issues relating to the taxonomy of ciliates and presents specific recommendations for best practice in the observation and documentation of their biodiversity. This effort stems from a workshop that explored ways to implement six Grand Challenges proposed by the International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN-BC). As part of its commitment to strengthening the knowledge base that supports research on biodiversity of ciliates, the IRCN-BC proposes to populate The Ciliate Guide, an online database, with biodiversity-related data and...

Summary. The host specificity is estimated of 28 commensal or parasitic ciliate
species referred to as troglo- or stygobites from the classes Suctorea, Heterotrichea
and Oligohymenophorea. However, only three suctorians (Spelaeophrya
troglocaridis, Tokophrya microcerberi and Echinophrya stenaselli) and four
peritrichs (Lagenophrys monolistrae, Scyphidia microlistrae, Vaginicola
subcilindrica and Platycola lageniformis) may be considered as stygobionts. The
other species are to be recognized as epigean, which by virtue of their biological
peculiarities are capable of getting adapted to subterranean conditions.

Suctorian ciliate Loricophrya bosporica was found at nematode Metachromadoroides remanei whereas peritrich Cothurnia sp. at nematode Spirinia sp. from methane seep of the the Ria Formosa lagoon (Southern Portugal). Consider sediment properties analysis lagoon sediments allow to attribute the hypoxic (periodically anoxic) methane seepage environment. The morphological characterizations of these ciliates with emphasis on poorly studied stylotheca structure in suctorian ciliate and macronucleus morphology in peritrich are presented. L. bosporica was described from the Black Sea hydrogen sulfide zone. The re-discovery of the latter ciliate in habitat with deficiency of oxygen and the presence of hydrogen sulfide may be indicative about prevalence of L. bosporica to extreme conditions.

The morphology and infraciliature of a new ciliate, Metopus yantaiensis n. sp., discovered in coastal soil of northern China, were investigated. It is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following features: nuclear apparatus situated in the preoral dome; 18–21 somatic ciliary rows, of which three extend onto the preoral dome (dome kineties); three to five distinctly elongated caudal cilia, and 21–29 adoral polykinetids. The 18S rRNA genes of this new species and two congeners, Metopus contortus and Metopus hasei, were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. The new species is more closely related to M. hasei and the clevelandellids than to other congeners; both the genus Metopus and the order Metopida are not monophyletic. In addition, the digestion-resistant bacteria in the cytoplasm of M. yantaiensis were identified, using a 16S rRNA gene clone library, sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The detected intracellular bacteria are affiliated with Sphingomonadales, Rhizobiales, Rickettsiales (Alphaproteobacteria), Pseudomonas (Gammaproteobacteria), Rhodocyclales (Betaproteobacteria), Clostridiales (Firmicutes), and Flavobacteriales (Bacteroidetes).

The present article addresses an overview of different types of extreme habitats in which sessile ciliates were found. Ciliates were found in different extreme habitats (marine deep waters, hypersaline, caves, and subterranean waters). Authors registered 11 species of sessile ciliates in extreme environments: suctorians Corynophrya abyssalis in a hydrothermal vent field (4090 m depth), Thecacineta calix in the Andaman Sea (1301 m depth), Paracineta livadiana, C. lyngbyi and peritrichous ciliate Cothurnia maritima in hypoxic/anoxic conditions of the Black Sea (80-300 m depth), suctorian ciliates Tokophrya niphargi and Spelaeophrya troglocaridis and apostome ciliate Gymnodinioides sp. in cave and subterranean waters, as well as suctorians Acinetides infundibuliformis, Acineta harpacticicola and peritrichous ciliate C. maritima in hypersaline waters (salinity from 38 ‰ to 60 ‰). The possible adaptations of listed ciliates to extreme habitats are discussed. It is difficult to identify any morphological adaptations of these ciliate species to life in extreme conditions. There are the physiological adaptations to extreme factors in extremophile ciliates. Some morphological structures and breeding characteristics, which are presented in ciliates living in extreme environments, may be adaptations to such conditions in general.

Ciliate protozoans, particularly representatives of the subclass Peritrichia, are well known to establish epibiotic relationships with an array of aquatic Metazoans, nonetheless, very few studies regard these epibionts on polychaetes. In this research we report presence of ciliate peritrichs of the genus Cothurnia, likely to be C.

To improve understanding of diversity, phylogeny and evolution in tintinnid ciliates, it is essential to link multiple molecular markers with properly identified and documented morphospecies. Accordingly, 54 tintinnid morphospecies/isolates mainly from the Yellow and East China Seas were collected and analysed. Using single-cell approaches, sequences were obtained for three rDNA loci (18S, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, D1-D5 region of 28S). Twenty-six tintinnid morphospecies (29 isolates) are documented by micrographs, measurements, morphologically described, and compared with the original species description. Three rDNA loci-based phylogenetic analyses were then performed for these identified isolates. Sequences from 25 unidentified species/isolates were also included in the comparison of the three rDNA loci. Ribosomal DNA genes of the genus Leprotintinnus were analysed for the first time, showing that Leprotintinnus was closely related to Tintinnopsis radix and branched distinctly apart from th...

Recent advances in molecular technology have revolutionized research on all aspects of the biology of organisms, including ciliates, and created unprecedented opportunities for pursuing a more integrative approach to investigation of biodiversity. However, this goal is complicated by large gaps and inconsistencies that still exist in the foundation of basic information about biodiversity of ciliates. The present paper reviews issues relating to the taxonomy of ciliates and presents specific recommendations for best practice in the observation and documentation of their biodiversity. This effort stems from a workshop that explored ways to implement six Grand Challenges proposed by the International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN-BC). As part of its commitment to strengthening the knowledge base that supports research on biodiversity of ciliates, the IRCN-BC proposes to populate The Ciliate Guide, an online database, with biodiversity-related data and...

A study to compare the intensity and prevalence of parasites in the organs of pond cultured fish was carried out at the African Regional Aquaculture Centre, Aluu, Rivers State. A total of 85 Clarias gariepinus samples were examined from 3 earthen ponds. All Ponds had same water sources and were limed and screened. Fish were fed with processed feed at five percent biomass. For parasitological analysis, skin and gill scrapes were made and viewed while stomach and intestine from dissected fish samples were slit open and rinsed in search of helminthic worms. Fifty-one fish were infected giving a prevalence of 60% but only the external organs; gills and skin were parasitized. Gill infection had organ prevalence of 51% while skin yielded 80.4% prevalence. Mean intensity was higher in the gills (153), than in skin (29.1). The following parasites were identified; Chilodonella sp. (0.3%), Ichthyophthirius sp. (41.1%), and Trichodina sp. (55%), Icthyobodo sp., (1.0%) and Gyrodactylus sp. (2.4%). ANCOVA and Chi square analysis, nonetheless, showed no significant relationship between gill and skin infection. Skin infection is predicated upon the wider surface area available to fish parasites while they get attached to the gills as water flows through the operculum. The absence of internal parasites maybe due to pond preparation processes carried out before stocking, and the restriction of feeding to processed feeds. It is therefore recommended that fish farmers take into consideration adequate pond cultural activities and feed administration, with an aim to curtail the zoonotic threats posed by fish infections.

The present study was carried out to determine the association between distribution of marine tintinnid ciliates and such abiotic factors as water salinity and temperature. As a result, the 80 tintinnid species were classified into six ecological groups (eurythermal, stenothermal-thermophilic, stenothermal-cold-loving, stenohaline, inhabiting in mixohaline waters, and stenohaline, inhabiting in euhaline waters) based on the own and literary data. The character of marine tintinnid ciliate distribution is substantially regulate by water temperature and salinity but accords with the ‘Moderate endemicity model’.

Peritrich ciliates are highly diverse and can be important bacterial grazers in aquatic ecosystems. Morphological identifications of peritrich species and assemblages in the environment are time-consuming and expertise-demanding. In this study, two peritrich-specific PCR primers were newly designed to amplify a fragment including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal rDNA from environmental samples. The primers showed high specificity in silico, and in tests with peritrich isolates and environmental DNA. Application of these primers in clone library construction and sequencing yielded exclusively sequences of peritrichs for water and sediment samples. We also found the ITS1, ITS2, ITS, D1 region of 28S rDNA, and ITS+D1 region co-varied with, and generally more variable than, the V9 region of 18S rDNA in peritrichs. The newly designed specific primers thus provide additional tools to study the molecular diversity, community composition, and phylogeography of these ecologically important protists in different systems. Peri974F: 5'-GGAAACTCATCAGGRCAAGAAGATT -3' (Liu and Gong 2012) Peri1370F: 5'-TGATTACGTCCCTGCAA-3' (this study) PeriLsu1R: 5'-CCTTCGCAGAACTTGTAT -3' (this study)

The article is dedicated to re-discovery of ciliates Loricophrya bosporica (Suctorea) and Cothurnia sp. (Peritrichia) found at nematodes from methane seep of the Ria Formosa lagoon (Southern Portugal). Based on authors' data the lagoon sediments might be attributing to the hypoxic (periodically anoxic) methane seepage environment. The morphological characterizations of found ciliates with emphasis on poorly studied stylotheca structure in suctorian ciliate and macronucleus morphology in peritrich are presented.

The ciliates of subclass Apostomatia representing a peculiar group symbionting on invertebrates such as crustaceans, mollusks and coelenterates. There are a little finds of these ciliates resulting the group is poorly understood. In this regard, there are discrepancies between specialists alike concerning the taxonomy of subclass and the nature of the relationship between apostomes and their hosts. Thus, the apostome ciliates mainly considered as parasitic in the Russian literature whereas foreign specialists are often mentioned the apostomes as commensals or even predators. In this connection, the different modes of apostome-host relations are discussed in the work. The finds of subclass representatives in Crimea (Russia) are also listed.

Determining the biomass of microbial plankton is central to the study of fluxes of energy and materials in aquatic ecosystems. This is typically accomplished by applying proper volume-to-carbon conversion factors to group-specific abundances and biovolumes. A critical step in this approach is the accurate estimation of biovolume from two-dimensional (2D) data such as those available through conventional microscopy techniques or flow-through imaging systems. This paper describes a simple yet accurate method for the assessment of the biovo-lume of planktonic microorganisms, which works with any image analysis system allowing for the measurement of linear distances and the estimation of the cross sectional area of an object from a 2D digital image. The proposed method is based on Archimedes' principle about the relationship between the volume of a sphere and that of a cylinder in which the sphere is inscribed, plus a coefficient of 'unellipticity' introduced here. Validation and careful evaluation of the method are provided using a variety of approaches. The new method proved to be highly precise with all convex shapes characterised by approximate rotational symmetry , and combining it with an existing method specific for highly concave or branched shapes allows covering the great majority of cases with good reliability. Thanks to its accuracy, consistency , and low resources demand, the new method can conveniently be used in substitution of any extant method designed for convex shapes, and can readily be coupled with automated cell imaging technologies, including state-of-the-art flow-through imaging devices.

Here we use culture-independent molecular techniques (DGGE and clone libraries) to characterize ciliate and bacterial communities in these diseases. Bacterial (16S rRNA gene) and ciliate (18S rRNA gene) communities were highly similar between the two diseases. Four bacterial and nine ciliate ribotypes were observed in both diseases, but absent in nondiseased specimens. Only one of the bacteria, Arcobacter sp. (JF831360) increased substantially in relative 16S rRNA gene abundance and was consistently represented in all diseased samples. Four of the eleven ciliate morphotypes detected contained coral algal symbionts, indicative of the ingestion of coral tissues. In both WS and BrB, there were two ciliate morphotypes consistently represented in all disease lesion samples. Morph1 (JN626268) was observed to burrow into and underneath the coral tissues at the lesion boundary. Morph2 (JN626269), previously identified in BrB, appears to play a secondary, less invasive role in pathogenesis, but has a higher population density in BrB, giving rise to the visible brown band. The strong similarity in bacterial and ciliate community composition of these diseases suggests that they are actually the same syndrome.

Colpodella gonderi is the only ectoparasitic flagellate of ciliated protozoa described thus far. This investigation reveals new records of C. gonderi retrieved from soil samples in southern Scotland, UK. Of fourteen ciliates species identified in one single occasion, three of them, Colpoda steinii, Pseudoplatyophrya nana and Grossglockneria acuta, were infested with the parasite. These results provide further evidence that C. gonderi is not host-specific of the ciliate genus Colpoda.

The article deals with suctorian and apostome ciliate species which are host –specific commensals or parasites of subterranean animals and may be considered as troglobionts. The data on caverni colous suctorians Spelaeophrya troglocaridis from antennae and legs of shrimps, Tokophrya niphargi from subterranean amphipoas.

Recent advances in molecular technology have revolutionized research on all aspects of the biology of organisms, including ciliates, and created unprecedented opportunities for pursuing a more integrative approach to investigation of biodiversity. However, this goal is complicated by large gaps and inconsistencies that still exist in the foundation of basic information about biodiversity of ciliates. The present paper reviews issues relating to the taxonomy of ciliates and presents specific recommendations for best practice in the observation and documentation of their biodiversity. This effort stems from a workshop that explored ways to implement six Grand Challenges proposed by the International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN-BC). As part of its commitment to strengthening the knowledge base that supports research on biodiversity of ciliates, the IRCN-BC proposes to populate The Ciliate Guide, an online database, with biodiversity-related data and...

Recent advances in molecular technology have revolutionized research on all aspects of the biology of organisms, including ciliates, and created unprecedented opportunities for pursuing a more integrative approach to investigation of biodiversity. However, this goal is complicated by large gaps and inconsistencies that still exist in the foundation of basic information about biodiversity of ciliates. The present paper reviews issues relating to the taxonomy of ciliates and presents specific recommendations for best practice in the observation and documentation of their biodiversity. This effort stems from a workshop that explored ways to implement six Grand Challenges proposed by the International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN-BC). As part of its commitment to strengthening the knowledge base that supports research on biodiversity of ciliates, the IRCN-BC proposes to populate The Ciliate Guide, an online database, with biodiversity-related data and...

To improve understanding of diversity, phylogeny, and evolution in tintinnid ciliates, it is essential to link multiple molecular markers with properly identified and documented morphospecies. Accordingly, 54 tintinnid morphospecies/isolates mainly from the Yellow and East China Seas were collected and analysed. Using single-cell approaches, sequences were obtained for three rDNA loci (18S, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, D1-D5 region of 28S). Twenty-six tintinnid morphospecies (29 isolates) are documented by micrographs, measurements, morphologically described, and compared with the original species description. Three rDNA loci-based phylogenetic analyses were then performed for these identified isolates. Sequences from 25 further, unidentified species/isolates were included in the comparison of the three rDNA loci. Ribosomal DNA genes of the genus Leprotintinnus were analysed for the first time, showing that Leprotintinnus is closely related to Tintinnopsis radix and branch distinctly apart from the family Tintinnidiidae. Four novel clades (VI to IX) of the Tintinnopsis complex emerged in the 18S genealogies. Analyses of the relative variability of the ITS and 28S regions versus the 18S rDNA showed that the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and ITS2 regions well co-varied with the 18S rDNA when the variations of the latter were less than 3%, whereas at difference of less than 1%, no correlation was found between the compared genes. These findings highlight the difficulties in using variable locus-based cut-off divergences in circumscribing tintinnid morphospecies.

Nanociliates have been frequently found to be important players in the marine microbial loop, however, little is known about their diversity and distribution in coastal ecosystems. We investigated the molecular diversity and distribution patterns of nanoplanktonic oligotrich and choreotrich (OC) ciliates in surface water of three neritic basins of northern China, the South Yellow Sea (SYS), North Yellow Sea (NYS), and Bohai Sea (BS) in June and November 2011. SSU rRNA gene clone libraries generated from three summertime samples (sites B38, B4 and H8) were analyzed and revealed a large novel ribotype diversity, of which many were low-abundant phylotypes belonging to the subclass Oligotrichia, but divergent from described morphospecies. Based on the data of terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of all 35 samples, we found that the T-RF richness was generally higher in the SYS than in the BS, and negatively correlated with the molar ratio of P to Si. Overall, multidimensional scaling and permutational multivariate analysis of variance of the community turnover demonstrated a distinct seasonal pattern but no basin-to-basin differentiation across all samples. Nevertheless, significant community differences among basins were recognized in the winter dataset. Mantel tests showed that the environmental factors, P:Si ratio, water temperature and concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO), determined the community across all samples. However, both biogeographic distance and environment shaped the community in winter, with DO being the most important physicochemical factor. Our results indicate that the stoichiometric ratio of P:Si is a key factor, through which the phytoplankton community may be shaped, resulting in a cascade effect on the diversity and community composition of OC nanociliates in the N-rich, Si-limited coastal surface waters, and that the Yellow Sea Warm Current drives the nanociliate community, and possibly the microbial food webs, in the coastal ecosystem in winter.

Extended abstract:
Dependence  of generation time (g, hours) on body mass (W, mg wet weight) in ciliated protozoa  at 20 oC can be described  by power function: 

g = 150 *W^0.25      (1)

Similar type of the relationship can be also computed based on body size dependence of metabolic rate. The metabolic rate of ciliates and flagellates expressed as proportion of their cell weight (R, 1/hour)  at 20 oC depends  on cell wet weight, as follows (modified from Fenchel and Finlay 1983)

R=  0.00292*W^0.75    (2)

or intensity of metabolism (R/W)depends on W, as

R/W =  0.00292*W^0.25  (2a)

Taking that efficiency of utilization of assimilation energy (A=P+R) on growth or production  (P),  K2=P/(P+R), is close to 0.6 for bacteria, protozoa and other poikilothermic animals (Calow 1977), one can link the population P/B ratio (P is production, B=N*W  is biomass) with intensity of metabolism

P/B = (R/W)*K2/(1-K2)    (3)

Since for populations of  dividing unicellular organisms  g = Ln(2)/(P/B)  (Zaika 1972), the generation time can be linked with intensity of metabolism

g = Ln(2)* (1-K2) /{ K2*(R/W)}    (4)

Combining Eqn (4) and Eqn (2a) and taking K2=0.6, one can obtain that

g= 158*W^0.25    (5)

Eqn (5) is nearly identical to Eqn (1). This suggests that the dependence of generation time on cell weight can be explained in terms of allometric relationship between metabolic rate and cell weight (or volume). 
Eqn (2) can be also used for approximation of production (P, mg/m^3/hour) of population of ciliated protozoan at 20 oC, as follows.

P=Ln(2)*N*W/g      (6)

where N is the population density (ind/m^3) of given protozoan species and W (mg) is the average cell weight, and g (hour) is the generation time computed using Eqn (1).