title: Description of Lecythium terrestris sp. nov. (Chlamydophryidae, Cercozoa), a Soil Dwelling Protist Feeding on Fungi and Algae.
abstract: Testate amoebae have been frequently studied by protistologists, but still little information is available on some groups like the Chlamydophryidae. These amoebae are difficult to culture and therefore quantitative information on their morphology, phylogeny and ecology is scarce. We isolated and cultured a small testate amoeba from an agricultural field at Müncheberg near Berlin, Germany. Morphological analyses revealed it to be a new species of the genus Lecythium. We describe Lecythium terrestris sp. nov. and present its morphology, mycophagous and algivorous feeding habits and its ability to form cell aggregates by fusion. Using small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene phylogeny, we could confirm the phylogenetic position of the genus Lecythium among the Cercozoa where it groups closely to Pseudodifflugiidae (Tectofilosida).
authors.affiliation: University of Cologne, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Faculty of Zoology, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Köln, Germany. Electronic address: kenneth.dumack@uni-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dumack
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research ZALF, Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Eberswalder Strasse 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marina E H
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: University of Cologne, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Faculty of Zoology, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonkowski
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D056907:Cercozoa / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005858:Germany; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000502:physiology; D054679:Ribosome Subunits, Small / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012987:Soil
keywords: Chlamydophrys; Fusarium; Tectofilosida; fungi; mycophagous yeast.