title: A Colpoda aspera isolate from animal faeces: In vitro cultivation and identification.
abstract: A colpodean ciliate was found in the faeces of experimental rabbits. It was initially cultivated in medium mixed with 2% (w/v) rabbit faeces. Subsequently, two chemically defined media, designated CA-1 and CA-2, were found to be suitable for axenical cultivation of the ciliate. The maximum abundance of the ciliate isolate in the CA media was 1-2 × 10(5) cells/ml. The ciliate isolate was further identified with silver impregnation and molecular analysis. Features of the left oral polykinetid, somatic dikinetids, and sliverline pattern were similar to those of Colpoda aspera as described by Foissner (1993). The 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene of the ciliate isolate shared 99% sequence identity with that of C. aspera, with 100% coverage, and formed a sister clade in the phylogenetic tree with the reference C. aspera isolate. In addition, the trophozoite of C. aspera could proliferate over a temperature range from 25-37°C. When resting cysts were cultivated in CA-1 medium at 30-35°C, 98.2% of the trophozoites were detached from the cyst wall after 7 h.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Parasitology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China. Electronic address: lstone2008@126.com.
authors.forename: Tuanyuan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Sciences and Technology, School of Life and Environment Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, China.
authors.forename: Xinlu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Parasitology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Fuzhuang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Parasitology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Fuxian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Parasitology, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Xiaozhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits / Q000469:parasitology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: 18S ribosomal RNA gene; Chemically defined medium; Colpoda aspera; Excystment