Phylogeny and Systematics of Leptomyxid Amoebae (Amoebozoa, Tubulinea, Leptomyxida).
We describe four new species of Flabellula, Leptomyxa and Rhizamoeba and publish new SSU rRNA gene and actin gene sequences of leptomyxids. Using these data we provide the most comprehensive SSU phylogeny of leptomyxids to date. Based on the analyses of morphological data and results of the SSU rRNA gene phylogeny we suggest changes in the systematics of the order Leptomyxida (Amoebozoa: Lobosa: Tubulinea). We propose to merge the genera Flabellula and Paraflabellula (the genus Flabellula remains valid by priority rule). The genus Rhizamoeba is evidently polyphyletic in all phylogenetic trees; we suggest retaining the generic name Rhizamoeba for the group unifying R. saxonica, R.matisi n. sp. and R. polyura, the latter remains the type species of the genus Rhizamoeba. Based on molecular and morphological evidence we move all remaining Rhizamoeba species to the genus Leptomyxa. New family Rhizamoebidae is established here in order to avoid paraphyly of the family Leptomyxidae. With the suggested changes both molecular and morphological systems of the order Leptomyxida are now fully congruent to each other.
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia. Electronic address: alexey.smirnov@spbu.ru.
Alexey
A
Smirnov
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; Laboratory of Cytology of Unicellular Organisms, Institute of Cytology RAS, Tikhoretsky ave. 4, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia.
Elena
E
Nassonova
Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
Stefan
S
Geisen
Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
Michael
M
Bonkowski
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia.
Alexander
A
Kudryavtsev
UMR7144, groupe EPEP, CNRS - Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France.
Cedric
C
Berney
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia.
Anna
A
Glotova
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia.
Natalya
N
Bondarenko
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
Iva
I
Dyková
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina B-1, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Martin
M
Mrva
Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Jose
J
Fahrni
Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Jan
J
Pawlowski
D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016846:Tubulina / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure
Protists; amoeba; morphology; phylogeny; systematics; ultrastructure.