Phylogenetic and ecological diversity of apusomonads, a lineage of deep-branching eukaryotes.

ABSTRACT: Apusomonads are a mysterious group of heterotrophic gliding biflagellates branching deeply in the eukaryotic tree of life as sister group to opisthokonts (including animals, fungi, and a variety of unicellular protists). Despite their evolutionary interest, their diversity and ecology remain largely unknown, with very few described species and environmental sequences in databases. Most environmental 18S rRNA gene-based studies generally fail to identify apusomonad sequences, which might be due to primer bias, low abundance, and/or to the fact that their biotopes remain poorly explored. We have carried out an extensive search of 18S rRNA genes using an apusomonad-specific primer in a wide variety of ecosystems. Our study significantly broadens the diversity of apusomonads showing that, desp

SUBMITTER: Torruella G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5551962 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature