Article
Environmental Sciences
Bohan Zheng, Xuetong Zhao, Tingting Ye, Jie Huang, Adriana Vallesi, Yaohan Jiang, Xiangrui Chen
Summary: This study investigates two new species of Aspidisca collected from subtropical coastal waters of China, describing their living morphology, infraciliature, silverline system, and ribosomal small subunit (SSU rRNA) gene sequences. The phylogenetic analysis supports the validity of these species as distinct from other closely related species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuetong Zhao, Hui Zhang, Qianqian Zhang, Zhishuai Qu, Alan Warren, Di Wu, Xiangrui Chen
Summary: Three Dysteria species were collected and studied based on their morphology, infraciliature, and molecular data. A new species, D. paracrassipes, was identified and found to be very similar to D. crassipes in most features, except for the preoral kinety. The genetic diversity between D. crassipes populations was high, indicating potential cryptic species. Additionally, morphological differences were observed in populations of D. brasiliensis, despite having identical molecular sequences.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yong Zhang, Ying Yu, Zhishuai Qu, Mengmeng Jiang, Zhuo Shen, Jiqiu Li, Xiaofeng Lin
Summary: This study identified three solitary peritrich species as members of the genus Pseudovorticella Foissner & Schiffmann, 1975, through a survey on ciliate biodiversity in the coastal waters of China. The morphological and genetic analysis revealed the characteristics and phylogeny of these species, and confirmed the non-monophyly of Pseudovorticella genus.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Marine
James B. Riding, Robert A. Fensome, Marie-Odile Soyer-Gobillard, Linda K. Medlin
Summary: The dinoflagellate lineage diverged around 650 Ma according to the molecular clock and biogeochemical evidence. Dinoflagellate cysts/zygotes appeared during the Triassic and were affected by the end-Triassic extinction. Taxonomic richness of dinoflagellates increased during the rest of the Jurassic and the entire Cretaceous, but declined during the Oligocene. Modern dinoflagellates are composed of three major clades, with unique features that contribute to their predominant role in marine phytoplankton.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Limin Jiang, Congcong Wang, Lijian Liao, Saleh A. Al-Farraj, Alan Warren, Xiaozhong Hu
Summary: This study investigates the biodiversity and molecular phylogeny of prostomatean ciliates, particularly the order Prostomatida. Based on morphological data and SSU rRNA gene sequences, three new prostomatid ciliates were discovered, along with their relationship to other taxa. The study also suggests that the simplified oral ciliature is a characteristic feature of the new genera. Furthermore, a close association between Prostomatida and Trimyemidae was revealed.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Bo Zhang, Xiao Tu, Zemao Gu
Summary: This study supplements fundamental information on three Myxobolus species infecting different carp lineages in China through an integrative approach. The findings are significant for precise species identification and enhancing understanding of the parasite fauna of common carp.
JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Yongsan Zeng, Xiaoguan Chen, Yibei Ni, Chen Zhao, James Kerns, Lane Tredway, Joseph Roberts
Summary: The turfgrass industry in Guangdong province, China has experienced rapid development, with a large number of golf courses in the area. Recent surveys have identified five prevalent plant-parasitic nematodes, with Mesocriconema xenoplax and Meloidogyne graminis being the most common. Morphological and molecular characterization of these species has been conducted, providing valuable information for future research on pathogenicity, relationships with other pathogens, and control measures for these turf nematodes.
Review
Microbiology
Zhishuai Qu, Hongbo Pan, Jun Gong, Congcong Wang, Sabine Filker, Xiaozhong Hu
Summary: In this study, we review the taxonomy, phylogeny, and ecology of cyrtophorian ciliates in China, providing a comprehensive understanding of their classification and evolutionary history. We provide a species checklist, an illustrated identification key, and molecular data for the study of phylogeny. Our findings suggest that the separation of the stomatogenesis zone from the left kineties is a key evolutionary event in cyrtophorian ciliates, leading to the formation of an independent sexual organelle.
Article
Zoology
Ran Li, Wenbao Zhuang, Xiaochen Feng, Saleh A. Al-Farraj, Anna Schrecengost, Johana Rotterova, Roxanne A. Beinart, Xiaozhong Hu
Summary: This study investigated three species of anaerobic ciliates collected from marine anoxic habitats in Asia and North America, using morphological and molecular methods. The species were identified as Trimyema foissneri, Plagiopyla rariseta, and Plagiopyla frontata. Trimyema foissneri is characterized by its somatic ciliary girdles, arrangement of kinetosomes, and ventrolateral fragment. Plagiopyla rariseta has sparse cilia on the frontal region and a specific orientation of the buccal cavity. Plagiopyla frontata is redescribed in detail. Phylogenetic analysis supported the generic assignment of the three species and confirmed the monophyly of the families Trimyemidae and Plagiopylidae. An improved key for the identification of Trimyema species is provided.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Mohammed Ahmed, Oleksandr Holovachov
Summary: Advancements in DNA sequencing and molecular phylogenetics have greatly impacted our understanding of nematode evolution, leading to significant changes in classification. While the current classification of Nematoda does not always accurately reflect their evolutionary relationships, further research and improvements are needed to better understand the phylogeny of this diverse group of animals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miao-Miao Wang, Jin-Ye Zhang, Yuan-Jun Zhao
Summary: This study described a new species of myxosporean, Myxobolus dajiangensis n. sp., through morphological and molecular methods. Comparative analysis with other similar species revealed that this species is a novel species, and the previously named Myxobolus koi was misidentified.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Agnese Petraccioli, Paolo Crovato, Fabio Maria Guarino, Marcello Mezzasalma, Gaetano Odierna, Orfeo Picariello, Nicola Maio
Summary: The superfamily Helicoidea exhibits significant chromosomal diversity in terms of chromosome number, morphology, and distribution of chromosomal features among different taxonomic groups. A molecular and comparative cytogenetic analysis was conducted on 15 Helicoidea species from three families to update the assessment of karyological diversity. Chromosome translocations and inversions have led to variations in chromosome number and morphology within the superfamily, with an ancestral karyotype of 2n = 60 identified as the starting point.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anastasia S. Borodina, Alexander P. Mylnikov, Jan Janouskovec, Patrick J. Keeling, Denis Tikhonenkov
Summary: This study investigated the diversity of heterolobose amoebae, focusing on a new species called Parafumarolamoeba stagnalis n. sp. from a small pond in European Russia. Using light and electron microscopy, as well as molecular phylogenies, the researchers described the fine morphology and evolutionary relationships of this new heterolobosean species.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sven Gippner, Scott L. Travers, Mark D. Scherz, Timothy J. Colston, Mariana L. Lyra, Ashwini Mohan, Malte Multzsch, Stuart Nielsen, Lois Rancilhac, Frank Glaw, Aaron M. Bauer, Miguel Vences
Summary: The dwarf geckos of the genus Lygodactylus are found in continental Africa, Madagascar, and South America. This study confirmed the monophyly of 14 Lygodactylus species groups and estimated the crown diversification of Lygodactylus to have started at 46 mya. Further research on related genera and phylogenomic approaches may help provide better biogeographic insights into the evolutionary history of these geckos.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Nguyen Ngoc Chinh, Nguyen Van Ha, Pham Ngoc Doanh, Yurakhno Violetta, Tomoyoshi Yoshinaga, Sho Shirakashi, Sascha L. Hallett, Christopher M. Whipps
Summary: A new myxozoan species, Ceratomyxa binhthuanensis n. sp., was discovered in the gall bladder of blacktip grouper in the East Sea of Vietnam. The species is characterized by elongate and slightly crescent-shaped mature myxospores, two smooth equal shell valves, and spherical polar capsules of equal size. Molecular analysis reveals that Ceratomyxa binhthuanensis n. sp. is distinct from other Ceratomyxa spp. available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis shows a close relationship between C. binhthuanensis n. sp. and three other Ceratomyxa species that infect fish hosts of the genus Epinephelus.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mamun Abdullah Al, Wenping Wang, Lei Jin, Huihuang Chen, Yuanyuan Xue, Erik Jeppesen, Markus Majaneva, Henglong Xu, Jun Yang
Summary: It has been found that environmental variability and cyanobacterial blooms have significant impacts on bacterial communities in marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, the long-term response of ciliate communities to such changes, especially in subtropical lake and reservoir ecosystems, remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed 9-year planktonic ciliate data from two subtropical reservoirs to investigate the role of cyanobacterial blooms and environmental variability on ciliate temporal dynamics. Our findings suggest that the interannual variability of ciliate communities was more strongly related to cyanobacterial blooms than to other environmental factors or seasonality. Additionally, we found that short-term blooms increased the selection pressure and drove a significant turnover of ciliate communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Xuan Peng, Xiaoqing Yu, Xingyu Zhai, Xiaofei Gao, Zheng Yu, Jun Yang
Summary: The invasion of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in subtropical coastal region of China has a significant impact on ecosystem function and the ecological environment. However, there is limited knowledge about the fluctuation of different forms of nitrogen in cordgrass-invaded mangrove wetlands. This study compared the spatial and temporal distribution of different forms of nitrogen with and without S. alterniflora invasion in a coastal wetland in Fujian province, China. The results showed that nitrogen concentration in the wetland varied with intertidal vegetation type, season, and sampling location, with organic nitrogen being the dominant form in the mangrove zone.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Christophe V. W. Seppey, Enrique Lara, Olivier Broennimann, Antoine Guisan, Lucie Malard, David Singer, Erika Yashiro, Bertrand Fournier
Summary: This study evaluated the relationship between soil protist diversity in meadows in the western Swiss Alps and the surrounding landscape structure. The results showed that landscape structure had a significant influence on protist diversity, comparable to environmental conditions and spatial variables, and increased with the size of the considered neighborhood window. This suggests that dispersal from neighboring habitats is a key driver of protist diversity, highlighting the importance of landscape-scale assembly mechanisms for microbial diversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zheng Yu, Xuan Peng, Lemian Liu, Jun R. Yang, Xingyu Zhai, Yuanyuan Xue, Yuanyuan Mo, Jun Yang
Summary: This study compared the structure and function of bacterial communities during and after a cyanobacterial Microcystis bloom. The results showed that microbial one-carbon and nitrogen cycles were closely related to the bloom, and their functional genes changed in a consistent trend with Methylomonas sp. As the bloom receded, the abundance of Methylomonas and the functional genes of microbial one-carbon and nitrogen cycling peaked and then recovered, indicating the beneficial role of microbial metabolisms in water quality recovery.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stefan Geisen, Enrique Lara, Edward Mitchell
Summary: Soil protists are being increasingly studied due to their diversity and importance in ecosystems, but many of these studies lack depth in knowledge and use incorrect terms and interpretations. This paper aims to help non-experts avoid common errors in studying soil protists, providing suggestions for appropriate terms and highlighting challenges in interpreting data. It warns against relying on incomplete reference databases and drawing causal inferences without experimental confirmation and understanding of taxa biology. The authors envision this work to contribute to a better understanding of soil ecology by facilitating the inclusion of protists in ecological analyses.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Giulia M. Ribeiro, Fernando Useros, Kenneth Dumack, Ruben Gonzalez-Miguens, Ferry Siemensma, Alfredo L. Porfirio-Sousa, Carmen Soler-Zamora, Joao Pedro Barbosa Alcino, Daniel J. G. Lahr, Enrique Lara
Summary: Arcellinida is becoming increasingly important in protistology, but there are challenges in describing their diversity and developing surveillance tools for these organisms. A database that links molecular barcodes with species morphology is lacking. This study expands the database of COI marker sequences for Arcellinids, adds new SSUrRNA sequences, and describes four new species using morphological and molecular evidence. The new database will facilitate research on shell evolution, biogeography, and systematics in arcellinids.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PROTISTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jun Zuo, Lemian Liu, Peng Xiao, Zijie Xu, David M. Wilkinson, Hans-Peter Grossart, Huihuang Chen, Jun Yang
Summary: This study investigated the distributional patterns of bacterial generalists and specialists along a latitudinal gradient, finding that generalists had wider niches and higher intra-specific variation, whereas specialists experienced decreased abundance and occurrence with increasing latitude. Stochastic processes were the main drivers of community assembly in both groups, with deterministic processes having a greater impact on specialists. Bacterial generalists coexisted through niche differences, while specialists coexisted through fitness differences.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Shuyin Huang, Guillaume Lentendu, Junichi Fujinuma, Takayuki Shiono, Yasuhiro Kubota, Edward A. D. Mitchell
Summary: The development of high-throughput sequencing of environmental DNA has facilitated the study of soil microbial diversity patterns. This study compared two sampling approaches for soil protists along an elevation gradient in Japan and found that sampling a single plot per elevation band was sufficient to estimate soil micro-eukaryotic diversity patterns along elevation gradients.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuanyuan Xue, Mamun Abdullah Al, Huihuang Chen, Peng Xiao, Hongteng Zhang, Erik Jeppesen, Jun Yang
Summary: This study found that the spatiotemporal variability in water microbial communities is influenced by relic DNA. After removing relic DNA, the composition of microbial communities showed significant changes, especially for microeukaryotes. Moreover, relic DNA removal also altered the relationships between microeukaryotic community composition and environmental factors. Therefore, more studies on the abundance, decay rate, and functioning of nonviable DNA in freshwater ecosystems are recommended in the future.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongteng Zhang, Huihuang Chen, Hans-Peter Grossart, Lei Jin, Xue Yan, Xiaofei Gao, Haihan Zhang, Yuanyuan Xue, Jun Yang
Summary: This field study reveals the depth-specific responses of bacteria in a subtropical deep reservoir to typhoon events. The findings show that typhoon events significantly increase bacterial diversity and alter community composition, with a more persistent effect on free-living bacteria compared to particle-attached bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lei Jin, Huihuang Chen, Shin-Ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Ryuichiro Shinohara, Jun Yang, David M. Wilkinson
Summary: Eutrophication and harmful algal blooms have severe impacts on water quality and biodiversity in lakes and reservoirs. This study reveals regime shifts in nitrogen use efficiency of phytoplankton along the trophic state gradient. The tipping points were found to be lower in subtropical/tropical waterbodies and higher in temperate zones. These regime shifts significantly reduced the primary production transfer efficiency via zooplankton in the aquatic food web.
Article
Zoology
Carmen Soler-Zamora, Fernando Useros, Ruben Gonzalez-Miguens, Pablo Gomez-Rodriguez, Enrique Lara
Summary: Accurate species delimitation is crucial for biodiversity evaluation, yet taxonomic actions often lag behind available data, resulting in the persistence of invalid species names with negative implications for ecology, biogeography, and conservation.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanyuan Xue, Huihuang Chen, Peng Xiao, Lei Jin, Ramiro Logares, Jun Yang
Summary: This study compares the impacts of water mixing disturbances on microeukaryotic community structure and stability in surface and bottom waters of a stratified reservoir. It shows that surface microeukaryotic communities are more resilient after water mixing, while bottom microeukaryotic communities cannot return to their pre-mixing state. The study also highlights the importance of bottom microeukaryotes in nutrient cycling.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Li Cui, Yuhan Xin, Kai Yang, Hongzhe Li, Fengjiao Tan, Yulong Zhang, Xingrui Li, Zhi Zhu, Jun Yang, Shuh-Ji Kao, Bin Ren, Yong-Guan Zhu, Florin Musat, Niculina Musat
Summary: In this study, a synergistic approach combining single-cell Raman microspectroscopy and stable isotope probing was developed to track metabolic interactions in active microbial assemblages. This approach allowed for the temporal tracking of intercellular and interspecies metabolite exchange in living cells, providing comprehensive metabolic profiling and advancing our understanding of microbial interactions.
