title: Morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular characterization of Euplotidium rosati n. sp. (Ciliophora, Euplotida) from Guam.
abstract: We combined morphological (i.e. live, stained, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy) with morphometric and molecular analysis to describe a ciliate species collected from shallow reefs in Guam, grown, and maintained in our laboratory. The species was recognized as a member of Euplotidium, and compared with established species of the genus: Euplotidium itoi Ito 1958; Euplotidium psammophilus (Vacelet 1961) Borror 1972; Euplotidium arenarium Magagnini and Nobili 1964; Euplotidium helgae Hartwig 1980; Euplotidium prosaltans Tuffrau 1985, and Euplotidium smalli Lei, Choi and Xu, 2002. To obtain more elements to compare the species, new morphometric data and additional SSU rRNA gene sequences of E. itoi and of E. arenarium are reported. On the basis of this comparison, we established the new species Euplotidium rosati that has a cirral pattern composed of 12 frontoventral and six transverse cirri, and lacks the left marginal cirrus. Euplotidium rosati harbors on its dorsal surface epixenosomes, the peculiar extrusive symbionts described in other Euplotidium species. The whole body of our observations together with the analysis of the data available in the literature leads us to propose a redefinition of the genus. The results may also be useful to clarify the tangled relationship between Euplotidium and Gastrocirrhus.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Protistology-Zoology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Modeo
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petroni
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lobban
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verni
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vannini
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006141:Guam; D016810:Hypotrichida / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D004247:DNA