Phylogenetic Investigations on Ten Genera of Tintinnid Ciliates (Ciliophora: Spirotrichea: Tintinnida), Based on Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA Gene Sequences. (24th January 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Dapeng; Sun, Ping; Warren, Alan; Hoon Noh, Jae; Lim Choi, Dong; Kyoon Shin, Mann; Ok Kim, Young
• Is Part Of: Journal of eukaryotic microbiology. Volume 60:Number 2(2013:Mar./Apr.)
• Page Start: 192
• Page End: 202
• Publication Date: 2013-01-24
• Subjects: Protista -- Periodicals; Eukaryotic cells -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1066-5234

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jeu12023-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Tintinnida is a diverse taxon that accommodates over 1, 500 morphospecies, which is an important component of marine planktonic food webs. However, evolutionary relationships of tintinnids are poorly known because molecular data of most groups within this order are lacking. In our study, the small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes representing 10 genera, 5 families of Tintinnida were sequenced, including the first SSU rRNA gene sequences for <italic>Coxliella</italic>, <italic> Dadayiella</italic>, <italic> Epiplocyloides</italic>, and <italic>Protorhabdonella</italic>, and phylogenetic trees were constructed to assess their intergeneric relationships. Phylogenies inferred from different methods showed that (1) Three newly sequenced <italic>Eutintinnus</italic> species fell into <italic>Eutintinnus</italic> clade forming a sister group to the clade containing <italic>Amphorides</italic>, <italic> Steenstrupiella</italic>, <italic> Amphorellopsis</italic>, and <italic>Salpingella</italic>; (2) Surprisingly, the genetic distances between <italic>Amphorides amphora</italic> and <italic>Amphorellopsis acuta</italic> population 1 was even smaller than that between the two populations of <italic>Amphorellopsis acuta</italic>, casting doubt on the validity of <italic>Amphorides</italic> and <italic>Amphorellopsis</italic> as presently defined; (3) The SSU rRNA sequences of <italic>Dadayiella ganymedes</italic> and <italic>Parundella aculeata</italic> were almost identical. Therefore, <italic>Parundella ganymedes</italic> novel combination is proposed; (4) <italic>Coxliella</italic>, which is currently assigned within Metacylididae, branched instead with some <italic>Tintinnopsis</italic> species. Furthermore, the validation of <italic>Coxliella</italic>, which was considered to be a "questionable" genus, was confirmed based on evidences from morphology, ecology, and molecular data; (5) <italic>Protorhabdonella</italic> and <italic>Rhabdonella</italic> showed rather low intergeneric distance and grouped together with strong support suggesting that Rhabdonellidae is a well‐defined taxon; and (6) <italic>Epiplocyloides</italic> branched with species in Cyttarocylididae indicating their close relationship.</p> </abstract>