1. Morphological Description and Molecular Phylogeny of Two Species of Levicoleps (Ciliophora, Prostomatida), L. taehwae nov. spec. and L. biwae jejuensis nov. subspec., collected in Korea.
- Author
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Chen X, Shazib SU, Kim JH, Jang SW, and Shin MK
- Subjects
- Cilia ultrastructure, Ciliophora cytology, Ciliophora isolation & purification, DNA, Protozoan genetics, Fresh Water, Genes, rRNA, Organelles ultrastructure, Republic of Korea, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Ciliophora classification, Ciliophora genetics, Phylogeny, RNA, Ribosomal, 18S genetics
- Abstract
Two colepid ciliates, Levicoleps taehwae nov. spec. and L. biwae jejuensis nov. subspec., were collected from the brackish water of the Taehwa River and a small freshwater pond in Jeju Island, South Korea, respectively. Their living morphology, infraciliature, and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences were determined using standard methods. Barrel-shaped L. taehwae nov. spec. is a small ciliate with an average size of 45 × 25 μm in vivo, about 15 ciliary rows each composed of 12 monokinetids and two perioral dikinetids, and two 20 μm-long caudal cilia. The sequence length and GC content of the SSU rRNA gene are 1,669 bp, 44.5%. This novel species is similar in body size to Coleps hirtus, and has six armor tiers and hirtus-type tier plates, and the same number of ciliary rows as C. hirtus; however, it can be distinguished from the latter by the absence of armor spines and its sequence similarity of SSU rRNA gene is about 92.8% which indicates that it is a distinct form. Levicoleps biwae jejuensis nov. subspec., is a medium colepid ciliate which has a barrel-shaped body, about 22 somatic kineties and 16 transverse ciliary rows, three mini adoral organelles, and four 15 μm-long caudal cilia. The sequence length and GC content of the SSU rRNA gene are 1,666 bp and 44.4%., (© 2015 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2015 International Society of Protistologists.)
- Published
- 2016
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