Relative diversity and community structure of ciliates in stream biofilms according to molecular and microscopy methods.

ABSTRACT: Ciliates are an important component of aquatic ecosystems, acting as predators of bacteria and protozoa and providing nutrition for organisms at higher trophic levels. Understanding of the diversity and ecological role of ciliates in stream biofilms is limited, however. Ciliate diversity in biofilm samples from four streams subject to different impacts by human activity was assessed using microscopy and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of 18S rRNA sequences. Analysis of 3' and 5' terminal fragments yielded very similar estimates of ciliate diversity. The diversity detected using microscopy was consistently lower than that suggested by T-RFLP analysis, indicating the existence of genetic diversity not apparent by morphological examination. Microscopy and T

SUBMITTER: Dopheide A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2725482 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature