Phylogeny of some systematically uncertain urostyloids--Apokeronopsis, Metaurostylopsis, Thigmokeronopsis (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia) estimated with small subunit rRNA gene sequence information: discrepancies and agreements with morphological data.
The small subunit rRNA (SSrRNA) genes of seven species of urostyloids representing four genera were sequenced. These were: Apokeronopsis crassa, A. bergeri, Anteholosticha sp-QD-1, Metaurostylopsis sp-QD-1, M. sp-QD-2, M. sp-QD-3 and Thigmokeronopsis sp-QD-1. Gene trees were constructed in order to investigate their phylogenetic relationships. The results indicate that: (1) Apokeronopsis, Thigmokeronopsis and Metaurostylopsis form a well-supported, clearly isolated, monophyletic group; (2) Metaurostylopsis species analysed consistently group together indicating that it is a well-outlined genus; (3) the validity of the genus Apokeronopsis is supported; (4) the separation of Holosticha and Anteholosticha is supported although Anteholosticha species exhibit a high molecular diversity; (5) Pseudokeronopsis and Thigmokeronopsis, which have been considered closely related, may not share a recent common ancestor, casting doubt on the monophyly of the family Pseudokeronopsidae.
Yi
Zhenzhen
Z
Laboratory of Protozoology, KLM, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
Song
Weibo
W
Shao
Chen
C
Warren
Alan
A
Al-Rasheid
Khaled A S
KA
Roberts
David McL
DM
Miao
Miao
M
Al-Quraishy
Saleh A
SA
Chen
Zigui
Z
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*
D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal