Euglena

Abstract

Euglena is a genus of single‐celled, free‐living microorganisms that show both plant‐ and animal‐like characteristics. Members of the genus are found widely in nature and mainly in fresh waters. Most are aerobic and use photosynthesis or many organic compounds as interchangeable sources of carbon and energy. The most studied species is the easily grown E. gracilis which, in spite of its relatively rigid surface, can be subfractionated to yield nuclei, mitochondria, chloroplasts, flagella and pellicles. Subfractions show some unusual characteristics: The nuclear envelope remains intact throughout mitosis and chromosomes are permanently condensed at all phases of the cell cycle, the mitochondrial respiratory chain has two terminal oxidases, and chloroplasts have three membranes reflecting their endosymbiotic evolutionary history. Various Euglena and some of their constituent molecules are useful for environmental biomediation and potentially useful biomedically. Key Concepts: Euglena is a genus of single‐celled, free living microorganisms that show both plant‐ and animal‐like characteristics. More than 250 Euglena species have been described, though the actual number is not known. The majority of Euglena species are green due to the presence of chloroplasts containing chlorophylls a and b . Members of the genus Euglena are found widely in nature, inhabiting freshwater pools, ponds and lakes. Euglena are able to use photosynthesis and heterotrophic oxidative assimilation as interchangeable and apparently equivalent sources of carbon and energy. How to classify Euglena has been a long‐standing problem; the genus has been claimed as photosynthetic protozoa by zoologists and as algae by botanists. Studies on the genus Euglena , and especially E. gracilis , have been significant for understanding the biochemistry and molecular biology of nuclei and subcellular organisms.

Genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity evaluation of dried Euglena gracilis ATCC PTA-123017

“…E. gracilis can adapt to diverse environments under conditions ranging from 1 to 38 C and pH ranging from 2.3 to 11. As such, E. gracilis has been identified in a number of differing environments including vegetable and citrus waste-lagoons, raw sewage, water in tree holes, snow, bark of the honey locust tree, alkaline marshes, and in acid coal mine water (Buetow, 2011). Euglenozoa are classified taxonomically as members of the Protist kingdom and form paraphyletic supergroups that do not share evolutionarily lineages (Kraj covi c et al, 2015).…”

Update on Meningiomas

“…Tumor location is a critical factor determining prognosis and therapy options, especially surgical resectability. The majority of meningiomas are found in the supratentorial compartment, most commonly along the dural venous sinuses in the cerebral convexity, parasagittally, and in sphenoid wing regions [5]. Less common sites of supratentorial origin include the optic nerve sheath, cerebellopontine angle, and choroid plexus [5][6][7][8].…”

“…The majority of meningiomas are found in the supratentorial compartment, most commonly along the dural venous sinuses in the cerebral convexity, parasagittally, and in sphenoid wing regions [5]. Less common sites of supratentorial origin include the optic nerve sheath, cerebellopontine angle, and choroid plexus [5][6][7][8]. Spinal locations are the primary site in ϳ12% of patients with meningiomas and are the most common intradural spinal cord and cauda equina tumor [7,8].…”

“…Spinal locations are the primary site in ϳ12% of patients with meningiomas and are the most common intradural spinal cord and cauda equina tumor [7,8]. Multifocal lesions are found in ϳ9% of patients on imaging and 16% of patients in autopsy studies [5,9,10].…”

Unexpectedly Streamlined Mitochondrial Genome of the EuglenozoanEuglena gracilis

“…One of the features typical for organellar DNAs is their enrichment in A + T content ( Smith et al 2011 ). Euglena is not an exception when it comes to A + T content, with both mitochondrial and plastid genomes containing just 25% of G + C ( Fonty et al 1975 ; Buetow 2011 ). Despite this general trend, few species have GC-rich mitochondrial genomes: A parasitic fungus ( Fricova et al 2010 ), lycophyte ( Smith 2009 ; Hecht et al 2011 ), some fishes of the teleost group ( Clare et al 2008 ), and also Chlorophyta, comprising the majority of green algae ( Lewis and McCourt 2004 ).…”