Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i>
Herbivorous protistan grazers are ubiquitous and abundant in marine and temperate freshwater environments. However, little is known about the algivorous ciliates and their feeding habits in outdoor mass algal cultures. In this study, we report on one hypotrich ciliate, identified as <i>Sterkie...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1016 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850126033416617984 |
|---|---|
| author | Mengyun Wang Pei Chen Hongxia Wang Qiong Deng Xiaonan Zhang Guoqing Yuan Mixue Jiang Lingling Zheng Zixuan Hu Zemao Gu Denis V. Tikhonenkov Yingchun Gong |
| author_facet | Mengyun Wang Pei Chen Hongxia Wang Qiong Deng Xiaonan Zhang Guoqing Yuan Mixue Jiang Lingling Zheng Zixuan Hu Zemao Gu Denis V. Tikhonenkov Yingchun Gong |
| author_sort | Mengyun Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Herbivorous protistan grazers are ubiquitous and abundant in marine and temperate freshwater environments. However, little is known about the algivorous ciliates and their feeding habits in outdoor mass algal cultures. In this study, we report on one hypotrich ciliate, identified as <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i>, from the outdoor mass culture of <i>Scenedesmus</i> in Arizona, USA. A long-term field survey revealed that this species often occurs in <i>Scenedesmus</i> culture in spring and summer, and can graze very heavily on <i>Scenedesmus</i> cells. By isolating <i>Sterkiella</i> cells and then observing them via light microscopy and electron microscopy, detailed information about the morphology, ultrastructure, excystment process, and feeding characteristics of the ciliate was obtained. Specifically, it seems that <i>S. histriomuscorum</i> has a range of different strategies for excystment, and the sharp change in the ion concentration in the environment around the cyst results in osmotic shock, which likely facilitates the excystment. Feeding experiments revealed that <i>S. histriomuscorum</i> preferred to graze on chlorophytes as well as the diatom <i>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</i> and had no interaction with chrysophytes or cyanobacteria. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the SSU rRNA gene sequence indicated that both the genus <i>Sterkiella</i> and the species <i>S. histriomuscorum</i> are non-monophyletic. The information obtained from this study will help advance our understanding of the biodiversity and ecological function of <i>S. histriomuscorum</i>, and will also be very useful in the development of early warning systems and control measures for preventing or treating this contaminant in microalgal mass cultures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f535875dc3d4b8585c7d75a326f77ed |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f535875dc3d4b8585c7d75a326f77ed2025-08-20T02:34:01ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-04-01135101610.3390/microorganisms13051016Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i>Mengyun Wang0Pei Chen1Hongxia Wang2Qiong Deng3Xiaonan Zhang4Guoqing Yuan5Mixue Jiang6Lingling Zheng7Zixuan Hu8Zemao Gu9Denis V. Tikhonenkov10Yingchun Gong11Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Fish Resources Protection of Three Gorges Project, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute of CTG, Yichang 443100, ChinaInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, ChinaInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, ChinaInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, ChinaFreshwater Algae Culture Collection at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Wuhan 430072, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Fish Resources Protection of Three Gorges Project, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute of CTG, Yichang 443100, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaPapanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, 152742 Borok, RussiaInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, ChinaHerbivorous protistan grazers are ubiquitous and abundant in marine and temperate freshwater environments. However, little is known about the algivorous ciliates and their feeding habits in outdoor mass algal cultures. In this study, we report on one hypotrich ciliate, identified as <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i>, from the outdoor mass culture of <i>Scenedesmus</i> in Arizona, USA. A long-term field survey revealed that this species often occurs in <i>Scenedesmus</i> culture in spring and summer, and can graze very heavily on <i>Scenedesmus</i> cells. By isolating <i>Sterkiella</i> cells and then observing them via light microscopy and electron microscopy, detailed information about the morphology, ultrastructure, excystment process, and feeding characteristics of the ciliate was obtained. Specifically, it seems that <i>S. histriomuscorum</i> has a range of different strategies for excystment, and the sharp change in the ion concentration in the environment around the cyst results in osmotic shock, which likely facilitates the excystment. Feeding experiments revealed that <i>S. histriomuscorum</i> preferred to graze on chlorophytes as well as the diatom <i>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</i> and had no interaction with chrysophytes or cyanobacteria. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the SSU rRNA gene sequence indicated that both the genus <i>Sterkiella</i> and the species <i>S. histriomuscorum</i> are non-monophyletic. The information obtained from this study will help advance our understanding of the biodiversity and ecological function of <i>S. histriomuscorum</i>, and will also be very useful in the development of early warning systems and control measures for preventing or treating this contaminant in microalgal mass cultures.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1016<i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i>algivoryfeedingexcystmentSSU rRNA |
| spellingShingle | Mengyun Wang Pei Chen Hongxia Wang Qiong Deng Xiaonan Zhang Guoqing Yuan Mixue Jiang Lingling Zheng Zixuan Hu Zemao Gu Denis V. Tikhonenkov Yingchun Gong Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i> Microorganisms <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> algivory feeding excystment SSU rRNA |
| title | Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i> |
| title_full | Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i> |
| title_fullStr | Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i> |
| title_short | Identification and Feeding Characterization of <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia) Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of <i>Scenedesmus dimorphus</i> |
| title_sort | identification and feeding characterization of i sterkiella histriomuscorum i protozoa ciliophora hypotrichia isolated from outdoor mass culture of i scenedesmus dimorphus i |
| topic | <i>Sterkiella histriomuscorum</i> algivory feeding excystment SSU rRNA |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1016 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mengyunwang identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT peichen identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT hongxiawang identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT qiongdeng identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT xiaonanzhang identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT guoqingyuan identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT mixuejiang identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT linglingzheng identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT zixuanhu identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT zemaogu identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT denisvtikhonenkov identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi AT yingchungong identificationandfeedingcharacterizationofisterkiellahistriomuscorumiprotozoaciliophorahypotrichiaisolatedfromoutdoormasscultureofiscenedesmusdimorphusi |