Unveiling the hidden genetic diversity and chloroplast type of marine benthic ciliate Mesodinium species.

ABSTRACT: Ciliate Mesodinium species are commonly distributed in diverse aquatic systems worldwide. Among Mesodinium species, M. rubrum is closely associated with microbial food webs and red tide formation and is known to acquire chloroplasts from its cryptophyte prey for use in photosynthesis. For these reasons, Mesodinium has long received much attention in terms of ecophysiology and chloroplast evolution. Mesodinium cells are easily identifiable from other organisms owing to their unique morphology comprising two hemispheres, but a clear distinction among species is difficult under a microscope. Recent taxonomic studies of Mesodinium have been conducted largely in parallel with molecular sequence analysis, and the results have shown that the best-known planktonic M. rubrum in fact comprises eight

SUBMITTER: Kim M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6773952 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature