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Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Paramecium ( V iridoparamecium nov. subgen.) chlorelligerum Kahl [Kahl, A., 1935] ( C iliophora)
Author(s) -
Kreutz Martin,
Stoeck Thorsten,
Foissner Wilhelm
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00638.x
Subject(s) - biology , contractile vacuole , subgenus , ciliate , botany , genus , algae , paramecium , macronucleus , excretory system , zoology , vacuole , anatomy , biochemistry , ecology , cytoplasm
We redescribe P aramecium chlorelligerum , a forgotten species, which Kahl ( Tierwelt Dtl ., 1935, 30:651) briefly but precisely described in the addendum to his ciliate monographs as a Paramecium with symbiotic green algae. The redescription is based on classical morphological methods and the analysis of the small subunit ( SSU ) rDNA . Morphologically, P . chlorelligerum differs from P . ( C .) bursaria , the second green species in the genus, by having a special swimming shape, the length of the caudal cilia, the size of the micronucleus, the size of the symbiotic algae, the contractile vacuoles (with collecting vesicles vs. collecting canals), and the number of excretory pores/contractile vacuole (1 vs. 2–3). The molecular investigations show that P . chlorelligerum forms a distinct branch distant from the P . ( C hloroparamecium ) bursaria clade. Thus, we classify P . chlorelligerum in a new subgenus: P aramecium ( V iridoparamecium ) chlorelligerum . The symbiotic alga belongs to the little‐known genus M eyerella , as yet recorded only from the plankton of a N orth A merican lake.