Retention of Prey Genetic Material by the Kleptoplastidic Ciliate Strombidium cf. basimorphum.

ABSTRACT: Many marine ciliate species retain functional chloroplasts from their photosynthetic prey. In some species, the functionality of the acquired plastids is connected to the simultaneous retention of prey nuclei. To date, this has never been documented in plastidic Strombidium species. The functionality of the sequestered chloroplasts in Strombidium species is thought to be independent from any nuclear control and only maintained via frequent replacement of chloroplasts from newly ingested prey. Chloroplasts sequestered from the cryptophyte prey Teleaulax amphioxeia have been shown to keep their functionality for several days in the ciliate Strombidium cf. basimorphum. To investigate the potential retention of prey genetic material in this ciliate, we applie

SUBMITTER: Maselli M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8355899 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature