Morphogenesis and Molecular Characterization of a Little Known Soil Ciliate, Oxytricha nauplia Berger et Foissner, 1987 (Ciliophora, Sporadotrichida)

Abstract

A Chinese population of Oxytricha nauplia Berger et Foissner, 1987 was recently discovered from the surface soil in the Kuisu Valley, Huhhot, China. Its morphology corresponds well with that of the original population in the body size and shape, the absence of cortical granules, two macronuclear nodules and two micronuclei. Both morphogenesis during binary fission and small subunit of ribosomal gene (SSU rDNA) of the species were first investigated. Though earlier dividers are unavailable for this species, morphogenesis almost proceeds as in congeners by given stages. The SSU rDNA sequence of O. nauplia is 1728 bp long and has a DNA G+C content of 45.72%. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Oxytricha nauplia grouped with O. paragranulifera first with high support, and then clustered into a subclade including Onychodromopsis flexilis, Paroxytricha ottowi, Paroxytricha longigranulosa and Rigidothrix goiseri, which branched off most congeners, but clustered into the Oxytrichidae clade. Fig. 2; Table 1) Body size about 85-140 × 40-70 μm, mostly 130 × 70 μm in vivo, ca. 72-96 × 29-55 μm after protargol RESULTS Description of Chinese population of Oxytricha nauplia (