title: Morphology, morphogenesis and molecular phylogeny of a soil ciliate, Pseudouroleptus caudatus caudatus Hemberger, 1985 (Ciliophora, Hypotricha), from Lhalu Wetland, Tibet.
abstract: Pseudouroleptus caudatus caudatus Hemberger, 1985, a soil ciliate isolated from Tibet, was studied in vivo and after protargol impregnation. The Tibetan population is mainly characterized by: elongate body with narrowly rounded anterior end and tapered posterior end; length of buccal area relative to body length ca. 20-25%; cortical granules colourless, round, densely distributed throughout sub-pellicular layer of cell; one parabuccal cirrus; post-peristomial cirrus lacking in 75% of specimens analyzed; left and right ventral rows commence at same level; four dorsal kineties; 3-6 inconspicuous caudal cirri; two macronuclear nodules; 2-7 micronuclei; contractile vacuole located at about 33% of body length near left margin. Morphogenesis is characterized by: (1) parental adoral zone of membranelles retained completely; (2) anterior segments of streaks VI and IV and the whole of streak V form the anterior, middle, posterior segments of the mixed row, respectively; (3) right ventral row originates de novo in both daughter cells; (4) marginal rows develop intrakinetally; (5) dorsal kinety anlage 3 develops de novo in the proter and intrakinetally in the opisthe; and (6) the two macronuclear nodules fuse into a single mass which then divides. Molecular phylogenies corroborate the morphological identification and support the close relationship between Pseudouroleptus and Strongylidium.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering Ministry of Education, Department of Biology and Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
authors.forename: Lingyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Honggang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering Ministry of Education, Department of Biology and Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. Electronic address: andrews1201@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. Electronic address: jhuang@ihb.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D010802:Phylogeny; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D018609:Tibet; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012987:Soil
keywords: Hypotricha; Morphogenesis; Phylogeny; Pseudouroleptus caudatus caudatus; Taxonomy