Gastronautidae Deroux, 1994 and Trithigmostoma Jankowski, 1967: Evolutionary Links Among Cyrtophorian Ciliates (Protista, Ciliophora, and Phyllopharyngea)

Studies on cyrtophorian ciliates (Cyrtophoria) have accumulated much knowledge on morphological taxonomy and molecular phylogeny, and the general classification and phylogenetic relationships of most families have thereby been revealed. However, the phylogenetic position of the family Gastronautidae Deroux, 1994 remains uncertain. This is due to the presence of specialized characteristics (in particular a circumoral kinety in a closed circle), and most importantly, the lack of molecular data of this family. In addition, TrithigmostomaJankowski, 1967 holds a special position among genera in Chilodonellidae Deroux, 1976 due to its divergent characteristics. In the present work, we studied a new gastronautid, Gastronauta paraloisi sp. n., and three populations of Trithigmostoma cucullulus (Müller, 1786) Jankowski, 1967, using integrative methods. Species identifications were confirmed by morphological research. We also obtained SSU rDNA sequences, which included the first available sequence of Gastronautidae. The following SSU rDNA-inferred phylogenetic analyses showed that the establishment of the family Gastronautidae is necessary, and Gastronautidae and Trithigmostoma may represent intermediate evolutionary links in the order Chlamydodontida.

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Taxonomy and SSU rDNA-Based Phylogeny of Two Heterotrich Ciliates (Ciliophora, Heterotrichea) Collected From Subtropical Wetlands of China, Including the Description of a New Species, Linostomella pseudovorticella n. sp.

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.719360 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Didi Jin ◽

Xuetong Zhao ◽

Tingting Ye ◽

Jie Huang ◽

Alan Warren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Food Web ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Ssu Rdna ◽

Microbial Food Web ◽

Model Organisms ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

The Family ◽

A New Species

The Heterotrichea Stein, 1859 are a group of ciliated protists (single-celled eukaryotes) that occur in a wide variety of aquatic habitat where they play important roles in the flow of nutrients and energy within the microbial food web. Many species are model organisms for research in cytology and regenerative biology. In the present study, the morphology and phylogeny of two heterotrich ciliates, namely, Linostomella pseudovorticella n. sp. and Peritromus kahli Villeneuve-Brachon, 1940, collected from subtropical wetlands of China, were investigated using morphological and molecular methods. L. pseudovorticella n. sp. differs from its only known congener, Linostomella vorticella Ehrenberg, 1833 Aescht in Foissner et al., 1999, by having more ciliary rows (48–67, mean about 56 vs. 26–51, mean about 42) and its small-subunit (SSU) rDNA sequence, which shows a 15-bp divergence. Although P. kahli has been reported several times in recent decades, its infraciliature has yet to be described. A redescription and improved diagnosis of this species based on a combination of previous and present data are here supplied. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences revealed that the genus Linostomella is positioned within Condylostomatidae, and Peritromidae is sister to Climacostomidae with relatively low support, and the family Spirostomidae is the root branch of the class Heterotrichea.

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Survey on diversity of marine/saline anaerobic Heterolobosea (Excavata: Discoba) with description of seven new species

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY ◽

10.1099/ijs.0.063487-0 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 64 (Pt_7) ◽

pp. 2280-2304 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Tomáš Pánek ◽

Eliška Ptáčková ◽

Ivan Čepička

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Ssu Rdna ◽

Marine Environments ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

The Family ◽

First Time

Diversity of the anaerobic Heterolobosea (Excavata: Discoba) is only poorly understood, especially in marine environments. We have isolated and cultured 16 strains of anaerobic heteroloboseid amoebae and flagellates from brackish, marine and saline anoxic habitats worldwide. Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences and light-microscopic observations showed that all the strains belong to the family Psalteriomonadidae, the main anaerobic lineage of Heterolobosea, and that they represent eight species from the genera Monopylocystis, Harpagon and Pseudoharpagon. Seven species are newly isolated and described here as Monopylocystis minor n. sp., Monopylocystis robusta n. sp., Monopylocystis elegans n. sp., Monopylocystis disparata n. sp., Harpagon salinus n. sp., Pseudoharpagon longus n. sp. and Pseudoharpagon tertius n. sp. Amoebae, cysts and the ultrastructure of the genus Pseudoharpagon are presented for the first time.

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Morphological reports on two species of Dexiotricha (Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia), with a note on the phylogenetic position of the genus

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY ◽

10.1099/ijs.0.059899-0 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 64 (Pt_2) ◽

pp. 680-688 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Xinpeng Fan ◽

Saleh A. Al-Farraj ◽

Feng Gao ◽

Fukang Gu

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Eastern China ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Ssu Rdna ◽

Contractile Vacuole ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Small Subunit Rrna ◽

North West ◽

Rdna Sequences

Two Dexiotricha species (Dexiotricha elliptica nov. comb. and Dexiotricha cf. granulosa), respectively isolated from soil north-west of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and freshwater in Shanghai, eastern China, were investigated using standard methods. The species Loxocephalus ellipticus Kahl, 1931 is reclassified here in the genus Dexiotricha and was characterized mainly by constantly showing 16 somatic kineties, three post-oral kineties with the middle one shortened, a contractile vacuole located subcaudally with an excretory pore near the posterior end of somatic kinety 2 and single caudal cilia. A Dexiotricha granulosa-like organism having a subcaudally located contractile vacuole and fewer somatic kineties was designated D. cf. granulosa. The small-subunit rRNA gene (SSU rDNA) sequences of these two species were characterized and their phylogenetic positions based on SSU rDNA sequences were revealed by means of Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood analysis. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed Dexiotricha as a monophyletic genus and supported its assignment to the order Loxocephalida. However, its family assignment remains unsupported.

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A new predatory leech from Vietnam (Hirudinida : Arhynchobdellida : Salifidae): its phylogenetic position with comments on the classification of the family

Invertebrate Systematics ◽

10.1071/is15008 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 473 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Takafumi Nakano ◽

Son Truong Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Relationships ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

12S Rrna ◽

The Family ◽

Morphological And Molecular Data ◽

First Time

The family Salifidae is a predaceous leech taxon in the suborder Erpobdelliformes. Although Salifidae is widely distributed in the African, Oriental, Indo-Malayan, Sino-Japanese and Australasian regions, the phylogenetic relationships of the family Salifidae have never been tested using molecular data obtained from leeches collected from the family distributional range. A salifid species was collected for the first time in Vietnam, and relevant morphological and molecular data are presented here. Because the Vietnamese salifid species possesses unique morphological characteristics among the known salifid species, this species is herein described as a new species, Salifa motokawai, sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear 18S rRNA and histone H3, as well as mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, tRNACys, tRNAMet, 12S rRNA, tRNAVal, 16S rRNA, tRNALeu and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 markers demonstrate that the Vietnamese salifid species is a close congener with the African Salifa perspicax and the Malagasy Linta be. Furthermore, molecular data revealed non-monophyly of the Asian salifid leeches. According to the observed phylogenetic relationships and morphological characteristics of the Vietnamese Salifa motokawai, sp. nov., the current classification of salifid taxa should be revised.

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Applicability of its Data in Roccellaceae (Arthoniales, Euascomycetes) Phylogeny

The Lichenologist ◽

10.1006/lich.1999.0221 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 31 (5) ◽

pp. 461-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

L. Myllys ◽

K. Lohtander ◽

M. Källersjö ◽

A. Tehler

Keyword(s):

Molecular Data ◽

Ssu Rdna ◽

Internal Transcribed Spacers ◽

Data Matrix ◽

Phylogenetic Structure ◽

Variable Regions ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

The Family ◽

Its Regions ◽

Data Matrices

AbstractThe ability of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS regions) of ribosomal DNA to resolve phylogenetic relationships within the euascomycetous order Arthoniales, focusing on the family Roccellaceae was investigated. The effect of alignment on phylogenetic hypotheses was evaluated. A data matrix from the ITS regions was constructed from 33 specimens representing 14 genera, including the outgroup Arthothelium spectabile. Six different alignments were analysed cladistically using parsimony jackknifing. Most groups in the six trees were congruent and well supported under the different alignment settings. In a conservative analysis, where only unambiguously alignable regions were included, the resolution was low. These results indicate that the ITS regions contain phylogenetic structure, and all information, including the variable regions, should be utilised. A data matrix from the SSU rDNA sequences was constructed for the same taxa. The SSU rDNA tree was less resolved than the ITS trees. There were only minor conflicts between the two sources of data and an incongruence test confirmed that the ITS and SSU rDNA data matrices were not significantly incongruent. The six differently aligned data matrices generated from the ITS regions were each combined with the SSUrDNA data. Simultaneous analysis of the combined data sets is the best approach as it uses all available evidence. As with the ITS trees, most groups in the combined trees were congruent and well supported. The SSU rDNA provided resolution within one clade, otherwise the ITS sequences provided most of the signal in the combined analysis, both at the basal nodes and at the tips of the tree. Molecular data clearly indicates that the fruticose/crustose habits have evolved multiple times even in comparatively small groups as in the family Roccellaceae and that the characters such as fruticose-crustose may be overemphasized in morphological analyses.

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New Data Define the Molecular Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Four Freshwater Suctorian Ciliates With Redefinition of Two Families Heliophryidae and Cyclophryidae (Ciliophora, Phyllopharyngea, Suctoria)

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.768724 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Mingzhen Ma ◽

Yuqing Li ◽

Qingxiang Yuan ◽

Xuetong Zhao ◽

Khaled A. S. Al-Rasheid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Molecular Phylogeny ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Ssu Rdna ◽

Freshwater Lake ◽

The Other ◽

Sufficient Evidence ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

The Family ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic

Four suctorian ciliates, Cyclophrya magna Gönnert, 1935, Peridiscophrya florea (Kormos & Kormos, 1958) Dovgal, 2002, Heliophrya rotunda (Hentschel, 1916) Matthes, 1954 and Dendrosoma radians Ehrenberg, 1838, were collected from a freshwater lake in Ningbo, China. The morphological redescription and molecular phylogenetic analyses of these ciliates were investigated. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from SSU rDNA sequences show that all three suctorian orders, Endogenida, Evaginogenida, and Exogenida, are monophyletic and that the latter two clusters as sister clades. The newly sequenced P. florea forms sister branches with C. magna, while sequences of D. radians group with those from H. rotunda within Endogenida. The family Heliophryidae, which is comprised of only two genera, Heliophrya and Cyclophrya, was previously assigned to Evaginogenida. There is now sufficient evidence, however, that the type genus Heliophrya reproduces by endogenous budding, which corresponds to the definitive feature of Endogenida. In line with this and with the support of molecular phylogenetic analyses, we therefore transfer the family Heliophryidae with the type genus Heliophrya to Endogenida. The other genus, Cyclophrya, still remains in Evaginogenida because of its evaginative budding. Therefore, combined with morphological and phylogenetic analysis, Cyclophyidae are reactivated, and it belongs to Evaginogenida.

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Phylogenetic analysis reveals two morphologically unique new species in the genera Astrochapsa and Nitidochapsa (lichenized Ascomycota: Graphidaceae)

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.189.1.19 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 189 (1) ◽

pp. 268 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

VASUN POENGSUNGNOEN ◽

LEKA MANOCH ◽

PACHARA MONGKOLSUK ◽

KANSRI BOONPRAGOB ◽

SITTIPORN PARNMEN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Close Relative ◽

Fruiting Bodies ◽

Undescribed Species ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

The Family ◽

Crustose Lichens ◽

Established Genus

Graphidaceae is the largest family of tropical crustose lichens, with nearly 2,400 known species, and exhibits a large diversity of ascoma morphologies. Ascomata that open by triangular marginal lobules that become recurved to form geaster-like fruiting bodies, so-called chroodiscoid ascomata, were recently shown to have evolved independently several times within the family. A special type of such ascomata is the gyrotremoid form in which the hymenium and excipulum are organized in concentric rings. In the present study, we address the phylogenetic position of two chroodiscoid species collected in Thailand that form aggregate or gyrotremoid, chroodiscoid ascomata, using a molecular phylogeny of nuclear LSU and mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences of 92 Graphidaceae. Our morphological, chemical and phylogenetic analyses show that one species is an undescribed species in the genus Astrochapsa, here newly described as A. kalbii Poengsungnoen, Lücking & Lumbsch, with a unique, gyrotremoid ascoma morphology. The second species belongs in the recently established genus Nitidochapsa, which is a close relative of Ocellularia, and is here described as new species N. siamensis Poengsungnoen, Lücking & Lumbsch. Based on these findings, three further new combinations are proposed in the genus Nitidochapsa, viz. N. aggregata (Hale) Poengsungnoen, Lücking & Lumbsch, N. phlyctidea (Vain.) Lücking & Lumbsch, and N. stictoides (Leight.) Tehler, Lücking & Lumbsch. A key to all five species is presented.

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Five new morphological types of virgulate and microcotylous xiphidiocercariae based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x19000853 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S.V. Shchenkov ◽

S.A. Denisova ◽

G.A. Kremnev ◽

A.A. Dobrovolskij

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

The Family ◽

Family Level ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Morphological And Molecular Data ◽

First Time

Abstract The phylogenetic position of most xiphidiocercariae from subgroups Cercariae virgulae and Cercariae microcotylae remains unknown or unclear, even at the family level. In this paper, we studied the morphology and molecular phylogeny of 15 microcotylous and virgulate cercariae (11 new and four previously described ones). Based on morphological and molecular data, we suggested five distinct morphological types of xiphidiocercariae, which are a practical alternative to Cercariae virgulae and Cercariae microcotylae subgroups. Four of these types correspond to actual digenean taxa (Microphallidae, Lecithodendriidae, Pleurogenidae and Prosthogonimidae), while the fifth is represented by Cercaria nigrospora Wergun, 1957, which we classified on the basis of molecular data for the first time. We reassessed the relative importance of morphological characters used for the classification of virgulate and microcotylous cercariae, and discussed the main evolutionary trends within xiphidiocercariae. Now stylet cercariae can be reliably placed into several sub-taxa of Microphalloidea on the basis of their morphological features.

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Phylogenetic position of Pleurogenoides species (Plagiorchiida: Pleurogenidae) from the duodenum of Indian skipper frog, Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Amphibia: Dicroglossidae) inhabiting the Western Ghats, India

Helminthologia ◽

10.2478/helm-2020-0006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 71-77

Author(s):

A. Chaudhary ◽

K. Shinad ◽

P. K. Prasadan ◽

H. S. Singh

Keyword(s):

Western Ghats ◽

Phylogenetic Trees ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Pcr Amplification ◽

Molecular Study ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Digenetic Trematodes ◽

The Family ◽

The Western Ghats

SummaryTwo species of digenetic trematodes of the genus Pleurogenoides viz., P. cyanophlyctiShinad & Prasadan (2018a) and P. euphlyctiShinad & Prasadan (2018b) have been described from India. Information regarding the molecular data of various species of the genus Pleurogenoides Travassos, 1921 is virtually lacking. This study addresses the application of molecular markers to validate the phylogenetic position of P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti. In the present study, two species P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti were collected between January 2016 to October 2017, infecting the freshwater frogs inhabiting the Western Ghats, India. In the present study, the two species were identifi ed morphologically and by PCR amplification of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene. Phylogenetic tree results clearly demonstrate that both P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti belongs to the family Pleurogenidae Looss, 1899. Based on these results, we presented and discussed the phylogenetic relationships of P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti within family Pleurogenidae from India. Phylogenetic analyses showed that P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti cluster according to their vertebrate host and revealed an important congruence between the phylogenetic trees of Pleurogenoides and of their vertebrate hosts. P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti clearly constitute a separate, sister branch with other species of the genera, Pleurogenoides, Pleurogenes (=Candidotrema), Prosotocus and Brandesia. The present study firstly provides important information about the molecular study and phylogenetic analysis of P. cyanophlycti and P. euphlycti. This study will also serve as a baseline for Pleurogenoides species identifi cation for further studies.

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Description of a new species of Paraplehnia (Polycladida, Stylochoidea) from Japan, with inference on the phylogenetic position of Plehniidae

ZooKeys ◽

10.3897/zookeys.864.33955 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 864 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yuki Oya ◽

Taeko Kimura ◽

Hiroshi Kajihara

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Dna Barcode ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Future Studies ◽

Rdna Sequences ◽

The Family ◽

28S Rdna Sequences ◽

Unidentified Species ◽

A New Species

We describe a new species of polyclad flatworm, Paraplehniaseisuiaesp. nov., from 298–310 m depths in the Sea of Kumano, West Pacific, Japan. Paraplehniaseisuiaesp. nov. is characterized by i) a developed muscular wall proximally occupying about one-third of the prostatic vesicle, ii) no common duct between the spermiducal bulbs and the prostatic vesicle, and iii) a genital pit between the male and female gonopores. We provide a partial sequence (712 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene as a DNA barcode for the species. Our phylogenetic analyses based on 603-bp 28S rDNA sequences indicate that P.seisuiaesp. nov. is nested in a clade consisting of stylochoid species along with unidentified species of Stylochus. It suggests that Plehniidae belongs to Stylochoidea, although this should be confirmed by future studies that contain Plehniaarctica (Plehn, 1896), the type species of the type genus of the family. The interfamily relationship among the superfamily Stylochoidea remains poorly resolved.

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