-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The phylogeny of the oligotrich ciliates is currently a hot debate despite the availability of both morphological and molecular
data. In the present paper, further small subunit rRNA (SS rRNA) genes were analyzed from the Genera Omegastrombidium and Novistrombidium, as well as from Strombidium, and combined with three new SS rRNA sequences from Strombidium basimorphum, S. sulcatum population QD-1, and Novistrombidium testaceum population GD. The phylogenetic positions of these organisms were inferred using Bayesian inference, Maximum Likelihood,
and Maximum Parsimony methods. The main results are: (1) the SS rRNA gene sequence analyses match the recent findings about
the molecular evolution of oligotrichs, indicating that the family Strombidiidae is paraphyletic; (2) the Genus Omegastrombidium is separated from the Genus Strombidium, as shown in recent cladistic analyses; (3) morphospecies in Genus Novistrombidium, based on similarity of somatic ciliature, are separated from each other in all topological trees, indicating that this genus
could be a paraphyletic group; (4) the molecular data indicate a possibility of paraphyly for the genus Strombidium; and (5) the similarities of the SS rRNA gene of specimens identified as S. sulcatum and S. inclinatum are 99.8%–100%. However, present knowledge on the oligotrichs sensu stricto is still insufficient and further studies based
on both molecular and other technologies are required.
Keyword
Omegastrombidium
-
Novistrombidium
-
Strombidium
-SS rRNA-phylogeny
Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology 04/2012; 28(4):769-777. · 0.50 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The ciliate subclass Haptoria is a diverse taxon that includes most of the free-living predators in the class Litostomatea. Phylogenetic study of this group was initially conducted using a single molecular marker small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA genes). Multi-gene analysis has been limited because very few other sequences were available. We performed phylogenetic analyses of Haptoria incorporating new SSU rRNA gene sequences from several debated members of the taxon, in particular, the first molecular data from Cyclotrichium. We also provided nine large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA) gene sequences and 10 alpha-tubulin sequences from diverse haptorians, and two possible relatives of controversial haptorians (Plagiopylea, Prostomatea). Phylogenies inferred from the different molecules showed the following: (i) Cyclotrichium and Paraspathidium were clearly separated from the haptorids and even from class Litostomatea, rejecting their high-level taxonomic assignments based on morphology. Both genera branch instead with the classes Plagiopylea, Prostomatea and Oligohymenophora. This raises the possibility that the well-known but phylogenetically problematic cyclotrichiids Mesodinium and Myrionecta may also have affinities here, rather than with litostomes; (ii) the transfer of Trachelotractus to Litostomatea is supported, especially by the analyses of SSU rRNA and LSU rRNA genes, however, Trachelotractus and Chaenea (more uncertainly) generally form the two deepest lineages within litostomes; and (iii) phylogenies of the new molecular markers are consistent with SSU rRNA gene information in recovering order Pleurostomatida as monophyletic. However, Pleurostomatida branches cladistically within order Haptorida, as does subclass Trichostomatia (on the basis of SSU rRNA phylogenies). Our results suggest that the class-level taxonomy of ciliates is still not resolved, and also that a systematic revision of litostomes is required, beginning at high taxonomic levels (taxa currently ranked as subclasses and orders).
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 02/2012; 279(1738):2625-35. · 5.41 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Zhang, Q., Miao, M., Strüder-Kypke, M. C., Al-Rasheid, K. A. S., Al-Farraj, S. A. & Song, W. (2011). Molecular evolution of Cinetochilum and Sathrophilus (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea), two genera of ciliates with morphological affinities to scuticociliates. —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 317–325.The ciliate order Loxocephalida sensu Li et al. (2006) has been considered to be systematically uncertain within the subclass Scuticociliatia. Loxocephalids display mixed morphological features and morphogenetic patterns that are found in two different oligohymenophorean subclasses: scuticociliates and hymenostomes. To reveal their phylogenetic positions, molecular information on this group is urgently needed but still inadequate. In the present study, we have sequenced the small subunit rRNA gene of two newly described loxocephalids, Cinetochilum ovale Gong & Song 2008; and Sathrophilus planus Fan et al. 2010; which have never been discussed based on molecular analysis. Results show: (i) all phylogenetic trees are nearly identical in placing Cinetochilum closest to the subclass Apostomatia and form a monophyletic group divergent from the typical scuticociliates, (ii) the genus Sathrophilus, together with Anoplophrya, a poorly known Astomatia, forms a peripheral branch separated from the scuticociliatian assemblage and (iii) the affiliation of the loxocephalid genera sensu Li et al. (2006) is not confirmed due to a dispersion in four deeply diverged clades. In addition, the polyphyly of the genus Cyclidium, shown in previous studies, is confirmed by our phylogenetic analyses and supported by the approximately unbiased test based on the new database in this work.
Zoologica Scripta 04/2011; 40(3):317 - 325. · 2.91 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Traditionally the unusual ciliate Paraspathidium has been regarded as a gymnostome haptorid (Litostomatea) based on its morphological features. In order to test this placement, the small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene was sequenced for two isolates of Paraspathidium apofuscum and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Furthermore, the putative structure of the variable regions 2 and 4 of the SSU rRNA gene were predicted and compared with those of other ciliates. Our analyses of SSU rRNA gene sequences revealed (i) a clear separation of Paraspathidium from the haptorids and indeed the class Litostomatea, rejecting its systematic position based on morphological characters and (ii) an equally clear association with the assemblage comprising the classes Plagiopylea and Prostomatea. Putative secondary structures of the variable regions 2 and 4 of Paraspathidium are similar to those of the plagiopyleans and prostomateans but differ from the hapotrids in Helix 10, Helix E10-1 and Helix E23-5. Taken together, these results support the placement of Paraspathidium close to prostomateans and plagiopyleans, or even as a distinct group possibly at ordinal rank, within the class Plagiopylea.
European journal of protistology 10/2010; 46(4):280-8. · 1.97 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The living morphology, infraciliature and silverline system of two small marine Euplotes species, E. orientalis spec. nov. and E. raikoviAgamaliev, 1966, isolated from a sandy beach near Qingdao, China, were investigated. Euplotes orientalis is characterized by a combination of features including their small size (35-45 microm long), five or six conspicuous dorsal ridges, two cilia-free basal plaques, eight normal-sized frontoventral cirri (FVC), and a double-patella-I type of silverline system. Euplotes raikovi is redescribed based on a Chinese population and includes the first detailed description of its morphology in vivo. It can be recognized by having one highly reduced and seven normal-sized frontoventral cirri, a single marginal cirrus, and a double-patella-I type of silverline system. For both species the small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequence was determined. Phylogenetic analyses based on these data indicate that E. orientalis is most closely related to E. plicatum and E. bisulcatus, whereas E. raikovi clusters with its conspecific strains, close to E. nobilii and E. elegans.
European journal of protistology 02/2010; 46(2):121-32. · 1.97 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Construction and characterization of a spoIII D gene deletion mutant of Bacillus thuringiensis.
Scanning electron microscopy and spore formation analysis were used to detect the ability of sporulation and formation of crystal protein in both the mutant and the wild strain. SDS-PAGE analysis was used to detect the expression of crystal protein.
Scanning electron microscopy and spore formation analysis showed that spores were hardly produced and the crystal existed in the spoIII D deletion strain. SDS-PAGE results showed that the expression of cry gene in the mutant was decreased in Luria-Bertani medium, but not affected obviously in Schaeffer's sporulation medium (SSM).
This indicated that the spoIII D gene was one of the essential genes for the sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis, and influenced the expression of crystal protein.
ACTA MICROBIOLOGICA SINICA 09/2009; 49(9):1165-70.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The morphology, infraciliature and silverline system of two marine Euplotes, Euplotes sinicus sp. nov. and Euplotes parabalteatus sp. nov., isolated from seawater near Qingdao, China, were investigated. E. sinicus is characterized by having conspicuous dorsal ridges, a single marginal cirrus and a silverline system of the double-patella-I type. E. parabalteatus is an extremely small form (only about 35 mum long) with 6-7 dorsal kineties and a silverline system of the double-eurystomus type. Small subunit (SSU) rRNA-based phylogenetic trees were constructed with three different methods and these firmly demonstrated that the novel species represent two distinct phylogenetic lineages within the genus Euplotes, branching as a sister group to all other sequenced congeners. In addition, the SSU rRNA gene of another rare, morphologically similar form, Euplotes rariseta, was sequenced. This revealed the phylogenetic position of E. rariseta to be basal to one of the major groups of Euplotes rather than close to Euplotes nobilii.
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 09/2009; 60(Pt 5):1241-51. · 2.27 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In this paper, we investigate the performance of heterogeneous networks with multi-antenna cooperative relays. Specifically, threshold-based maximum ratio combining (MRC) and selection combining (SC) schemes are adopted for decoding at the relays and the end-to-end (E2E) error rate performance is analyzed by assuming a Nakagami channel model. Numerical results show that the deployment of multi-antennas can reduce the number of required relay nodes, and thus significantly reduce the system cost. On the other hand, the selection of optimal decoding threshold depends on the number of relay nodes, number of antennas, as well as the average SNR value at the receiver. It is also demonstrated that when the BER requirement is not high, the SC relaying scheme is sufficient to provide satisfactory performance, such that the complexity of relays can be effectively reduced.
Vehicular Technology Conference, 2009. VTC Spring 2009. IEEE 69th; 05/2009
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The morphology and infraciliature of the marine hypotrichous ciliate Nothoholosticha fasciola (Kahl, 1932) nov. gen., nov. comb., isolated from mariculture waters near Qingdao, China, are redescribed based on live and protargol-impregnated specimens. Features reported for the first time include the possession of more than 50 macronuclear nodules and details of the infraciliature, i.e. 50-60 adoral membranelles, shortened paroral and endoral membranes, six frontal, one buccal and two to seven transverse cirri, ca. 40 pairs of midventral cirri, ca. 60-120 left and 70-120 right marginal cirri, three dorsal kineties, caudal and frontoterminal cirri absent. In addition, brief details of two stages of cellular reorganization in N. fasciola are supplied and comparisons with some related urostylids based on SS rRNA gene sequence data are reported. The new genus Nothoholosticha is established based primarily on the absence of frontoterminal cirri, which distinctly separates it from similar urostylid genera. Anteholosticha longissima is transferred to Nothoholosticha as N. longissima (Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986) nov. comb. and Holosticha antarctica is transferred to Pseudokeronopsis as P. antarctica (Wilbert and Song, 2008) nov. comb.
European journal of protistology 04/2009; 45(3):237-48. · 1.97 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Comprehensive molecular analyses of phylogenetic relationships within euplotid ciliates are relatively rare, and the relationships among some families remain questionable. We performed phylogenetic analyses of the order Euplotida based on new sequences of the gene coding for small-subunit RNA (SSrRNA) from a variety of taxa across the entire order as well as sequences from some of these taxa of other genes (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and histone H4) that have not been included in previous analyses. Phylogenetic trees based on SSrRNA gene sequences constructed with four different methods had a consistent branching pattern that included the following features: (1) the "typical" euplotids comprised a paraphyletic assemblage composed of two divergent clades (family Uronychiidae and families Euplotidae-Certesiidae-Aspidiscidae-Gastrocirrhidae), (2) in the family Uronychiidae, the genera Uronychia and Paradiophrys formed a clearly outlined, well-supported clade that seemed to be rather divergent from Diophrys and Diophryopsis, suggesting that the Diophrys-complex may have had a longer and more separate evolutionary history than previously supposed, (3) inclusion of 12 new SSrRNA sequences in analyses of Euplotidae revealed two new clades of species within the family and cast additional doubt on the present classification of genera within the family, and (4) the intraspecific divergence among five species of Aspidisca was far greater than those of closely related genera. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 coding regions and partial histone H4 genes of six morphospecies in the Diophrys-complex were sequenced along with their SSrRNA genes and used to compare phylogenies constructed from single data sets to those constructed from combined sets. Results indicated that combined analyses could be used to construct more reliable, less ambiguous phylogenies of complex groups like the order Euplotida, because they provide a greater amount and diversity of information.
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 01/2009; 50(3):599-607. · 3.61 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In this study the feasibility of using the in vivo synchronous fluorescence spectra (SFS) of phytoplankton samples for determining the relative abundance of specific classes of phytoplankton was investigated. In total, 405 SFS of nine phytoplankton species cultivated under different conditions were measured and evaluated. First, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to obtain nine representative spectra, and three feature spectrum bands at 200-235, 310-335, and 355-585 nm of SFS were found to have a better discriminatory capability. The nine phytoplankton species were spectrographically sorted into six classes. Second, a relationship between the chlorophyll a (chla) concentration of phytoplankton extracts and the in vivo SFS intensity was found; thus the corresponding phytoplankton class abundance can be expressed by the concentration of standard chla. For this data set, the detection limit ranged 1.02-6.89 microg/L chla for different classes. Finally, qualitative and quantitative analyses of 30 mixtures of phytoplankton were carried out using the nonnegative least square regression (NNLS) method. The dominant phytoplankton classes could be identified while the qualitative recognition correctness rate was 88% and the quantitative standard deviation with fluorometrically determined chla was -0.14-0.04. Hence, it was possible to estimate the abundance of dominant phytoplankton classes.
Analytical Biochemistry 07/2008; 377(1):40-5. · 3.00 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The direct electrochemical and electrocatalytic behavior of the immobilized cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) on zirconium dioxide nanoparticles (ZrO2) was investigated. The film of nano-structured ZrO2 that incorporated cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) with colloidal paltin, which was stabilized by poly-lysine (Pt-PLL), was prepared on glassy carbon electrodes. In anaerobic solutions, the immobilized CYP2B6 exhibited a reversible electron transfer between the heme electroactive center of CYP2B6 and electrodes with a formal potential of −(0.449±0.004) V at pH 7.4. In air-saturated solutions, an increased bioelectrocatalytic reduction current could be obtained with the CYP2B6-modified electrode with the addition of anticancer drugs, such as lidocaine. This leads to the construction of disposable biosensors for drugs by utilizing the electrochemical activity and catalytic reactions of the immobilized CYP2B6.
Electroanalysis 01/2008; 20(7):803 - 807. · 2.87 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The direct electron transfer between electrodes and glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized in a matrix containing zirconium dioxide nanoparticles (ZrO<sub>2</sub>) is described. The protein-nanoparticle assembly is stabilized by charged and uncharged compounds and the direct electron transfer is enhanced. The effects of different compositions on the electrochemical parameters, formal potential, surface loading, and constant heterogeneous electron transfer rate are characterized with cyclic voltammetry. The fastest electron transfer rate with the smallest deviation of the is obtained when GOD is immobilized with ZrO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles, colloidal platinum and poly-Lysine (PLL). Incorporation of charged compounds for immobilization of GOD causes a larger positive shift of the formal potential. Electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements show that the GOD entrapped in ZrO<sub>2</sub>/Pt-PLL or ZrO<sub>2</sub>/Pt-PVA film retains its bioactivity efficiently and exhibits excellent electrocatalytic behavior towards glucose. No enzymatic activity of the immobilized GOD can be observed on ZrO<sub>2</sub>/DMSO and ZrO<sub>2</sub>/DDAB film.
IEEE Sensors Journal 01/2008; · 1.52 Impact Factor
-
Int. J. Communication Systems. 01/2008; 21:1285-1306.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The capacity of relay channel is determined not only by the number of relays but also the relations among them. Cooperation among relays will greatly improve the network capacity by further reducing information uncertainty. Based on this theory, this paper introduces cooperative two-relay channel models with or without path loss, as well as the method for their capacity analysis. In these models, the work mode of the relays has two schemes, that is, the two relays select the same or different codebooks respectively. On calculating the capacity, we will analyze it without path loss firstly. Then based on this very result, we will further analyze the capacity with path loss. A numerical example without path loss is given in order to certify the result. It shows that the capacity is confined to the combination of the broadcast channel and multi-access channel and by finding the best way of power allocations we can achieve the maximum channel capacity.
Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, 2007. PIMRC 2007. IEEE 18th International Symposium on; 10/2007
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Aluminium(III) complexes are essential for understanding the toxicity, bioavailability and transport mechanisms of aluminium in environmental and biological systems. Since elucidation of the exact structures of these weakly coordinated systems is very difficult, the structures of Al(III) complexes in glutamate dehydrogenase reactions system were investigated recently from the following four aspects: (1) Constitutional studies: The keto-enol tautomerism of the complexes between aluminium(III) ion and alpha-ketoglutarate ligands in acidic aqueous solutions was studied. It is clearly demonstrated that Al(III) can promote the keto-enol tautomerization of alpha-ketoglutarate. (2) Configurational studies: Compared with L-Glu, the complex stability of D-Glu-Al is stronger, especially for the tridentate species. The result was further supported by computational results in the molecular mechanics model with the UFF forcefield. It is implied that Al(III) complexation may favor the racemization from L- to D-amino acids. (3) Conformational studies: At biologically relevant pH and concentrations of Al(III) and NADH, Al(III) was found to increase the percentage of folded forms of NADH, which results in reducing the activity of the coenzyme NADH in the hollow-dehydrogenase reactions system. However, the conformations of NAD(+) and Al-NAD(+) are dependent upon the solvents and other ligands in the complexes. (4) Biological effects: The effects of Al(III) on the activity of the glutamate dehydrogenase-catalyzed reactions were studied by monitoring the differential-pulse polarography reduction current of NAD(+). At the physiologically relevant pH values (pH 6.5 and 7.5), the activity of the GDH enzyme was strongly dependent on the concentration of the Al(III) in the assayed mixture solutions.
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 10/2007; 101(9):1242-50. · 3.35 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In this study, we investigate the direct electron-transfer reactivity of immobilized hemoglobin (Hb) on a polyurethane elastomer (PUE) film for biosensor designs. The PUE film synthesized by an additional polymerization possesses good biocompatibility, uniformity, and conformability and is ready for protein immobilization. Electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements show that the presence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) increased the protein-PUE interaction, varied polymer morphology, improved the permeability and the conductivity of the PUE film, and thus facilitated the direct electron transfer between the immobilized Hb and the conductivity surface through the conducting tunnels of MWNTs. The immobilized Hb maintains its bioactivities and displays an excellent electrochemical behavior with a formal potential of -(334 +/- 7) mV. The addition of NaNO2 leads to an increase of the electrocatalytic reduction current of nitrite at -0.7 V. This allows us to develop a nitrite sensor with a linear response range from 0.08 to 3.6 mM. The proposed method opens a way to develop biosensors by using nanostructured materials mixed with low electrical conductivity matrixes.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 03/2007; 111(5):1182-8. · 3.70 Impact Factor
-
Se pu = Chinese journal of chromatography / Zhongguo hua xue hui 02/2004; 22(1):93.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The morphology and infraciliature of the marine hypotrichous ciliate Nothoholosticha fasciola (Kahl, 1932) nov. gen., nov. comb., isolated from mariculture waters near Qingdao, China, are redescribed based on live and protargol-impregnated specimens. Features reported for the first time include the possession of more than 50 macronuclear nodules and details of the infraciliature, i.e. 50–60 adoral membranelles, shortened paroral and endoral membranes, six frontal, one buccal and two to seven transverse cirri, ca. 40 pairs of midventral cirri, ca. 60–120 left and 70–120 right marginal cirri, three dorsal kineties, caudal and frontoterminal cirri absent. In addition, brief details of two stages of cellular reorganization in N. fasciola are supplied and comparisons with some related urostylids based on SS rRNA gene sequence data are reported. The new genus Nothoholosticha is established based primarily on the absence of frontoterminal cirri, which distinctly separates it from similar urostylid genera. Anteholosticha longissima is transferred to Nothoholosticha as N. longissima (Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986) nov. comb. and Holosticha antarctica is transferred to Pseudokeronopsis as P. antarctica (Wilbert and Song, 2008) nov. comb.
European Journal of Protistology.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The urostylid genus Metaurostylopsis Song et al., 2001 was considered to be a well-outlined taxon. Nevertheless, recent evidence, including morphological, ontogenetic, and molecular information, have consistently revealed conflicts among congeners, regarding their systematic relationships, ciliature patterns, and origins of ciliary organelles. In the present work, the morphogenetic and morphogenetic features were re-checked and compared, and the phylogeny of nominal species was analysed based on information inferred from the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SS rRNA) gene sequence. In addition, the binary divisional process in a new isolate of Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae Shao et al., 2008 is described. All results obtained reveal that the genus is a polyphyletic assemblage whose nominal congeners fall into three clades within the core Urostylida, based on SS rRNA gene sequences. These three clades not match the groups inferred from morphological/morphogenetical evidences. Some conflicting data from molecular and ontogenetic studies also indicate that single-gene information might not be consistently reliable in detecting the phylogenetic relationships among closely related groups and comprehensive multi-gene analyses are necessary to give a more exact evaluation for this divergent assemblage. According to our new understandings, five forms are confirmed to be true Metaurostylopsis. The morphotype Metaurostylopsis sinica Shao et al., 2008 should be excluded from the genus and represents a distinct type, and, thus, a new genus Apourostylopsis n. g. with it as the type specie, i.e. Apourostylopsis sinica (Shao et al., 2008) n. comb.
Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 58(1):11-21. · 2.66 Impact Factor
