Chlorella and Stichococcus are morphologically simple airborne microalgae, omnipresent in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The minute cell size and resistance against environmental stress facilitate their long-distance dispersal. However, the actual distribution of Chlorella- and Stichococcus-like species has so far been inferred only from ambiguous morphology-based evidence. Here we contribute a phylogenetic analysis of an expanded SSU and ITS2 rDNA sequence dataset representing Chlorella- and Stichococcus-like species from terrestrial habitats of polar, temperate and tropical regions. We aim to uncover biogeographical patterns at low taxonomic levels. We found that psychrotolerant strains of Chlorella and Stichococcus are closely related with strains originating from the temperate zone. Species closely related to Chlorella vulgaris and Muriella terrestris, and recovered from extreme terrestrial environments of polar regions and hot deserts, are particularly widespread. Stichococcus strains from the temperate zone, with their closest relatives in the tropics, differ from strains with the closest relatives being from the polar regions. Our data suggest that terrestrial Chlorella and Stichococcus might be capable of intercontinental dispersal; however, their actual distributions exhibit biogeographical patterns.

• MeSH
• Biofilms classification   MeSH
• Chlorella vulgaris classification   genetics   growth & development   MeSH
• Chlorophyta classification   genetics   growth & development   MeSH
• Ecosystem MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Phylogeography MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer genetics   MeSH
• Cold Climate * MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Antarctic Regions MeSH
• Arctic Regions MeSH

The ciliate, Buxtonella sulcata, was isolated from a bull cow near Tišnov, Czech Republic, and fixed for light (LM), scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) study. Presented here are the basic morphometrics from LM study, and the fine-structure of both somatic and vestibular ciliary, and other structures. While many morphological features are similar to ciliates belonging to the order Vestibuliferida, some differences have been discovered, and are presented here. Especially emphasized are the microtubular and fibrilar components of the basic kinetid structures for both somatic and vestibular regions of these protists. Also observed in both TEM and SEM samples were enigmatic membrane bulges at the base of many somatic cilia. These ciliates are seen to have abundant endocytoplasmic bacteria, as seen in LM and TEM. This evaluation of the ultrastructural morphology of B. sulcata from cattle is accompanied by detailed determination of its small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequence and also of internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8rRNA-ITS2). All of these data will contribute to unravel the phylogenetic relationships of medically and veterinary important intestinal ciliates.

• MeSH
• Ciliophora classification   genetics   ultrastructure   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Phylogeny * MeSH
• Genes, rRNA genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer genetics   MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan genetics   MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Transmission MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

Despite the fact that the non-human primates are our closest relatives and represent a species-rich mammalian group, little is known about their intestinal protistan parasites/commensals. Particularly, the intestinal trichomonads represent a neglected part of the fauna of the primate digestive system. We have established 30 trichomonad strains isolated from feces of 11 primate species kept in 3 Czech zoos and performed an analysis of their SSU rDNA and ITS1-5·8S rDNA-ITS2. Our results showed that intestinal trichomonads are rather common among non-human primates. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the strains are unexpectedly diversified, belonging to 8 or 9 distinct species. Interestingly, the vast majority of the strains from non-human primates belonged to the genus Tetratrichomonas while no member of this genus has been found in the human intestine so far. In addition, hominoid and non-hominoid primates differed in their intestinal trichomonads. Our results suggest that captive primates possibly may be infected by intestinal trichomonads of other vertebrates such as pigs, cattle, birds, tortoises and lizards.

• MeSH
• Biodiversity MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer genetics   MeSH
• Primate Diseases parasitology   MeSH
• Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic parasitology   veterinary   MeSH
• Primates parasitology   MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal genetics   MeSH
• Trichomonadida classification   genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

We studied morphological and molecular polymorphism of 53 Tetratrichomonas isolates obtained from amphibian, reptilian, mammalian hosts, and from a slug with the aid of protargol staining and analyses of ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2, SSU rRNA, and alpha-tubulin gene sequences. The phylogenetic tree based on the concatenate of all sequences showed the monophyly of the genus Tetratrichomonas with respect to the genus Trichomonas. Our data suggest that two parabasalid genera, Pentatrichomonoides and Trichomonoides, may belong to the genus Tetratrichomonas. Tetratrichomonas isolates were divided into 16 robust host-specific and monophyletic groups that probably represent separate, mostly new, species. As only five Tetratrichomonas species were described from the examined host taxa so far, our study uncovered considerable species diversity within the genus. The wide host range, high level of species-specific host specificity, and newly revealed biodiversity make the genus Tetratrichomonas a valuable model for studying evolution of parasites.

• MeSH
• Bayes Theorem MeSH
• Financing, Organized MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Genetic Variation immunology   MeSH
• Host-Parasite Interactions genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer genetics   MeSH
• Evolution, Molecular MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• Mice parasitology   MeSH
• Swine parasitology   MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan genetics   chemistry   MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S genetics   MeSH
• Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
• Trichomonadida genetics   classification   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice parasitology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH