Large proportion of marine planktonic ciliates found to contain functional chloroplasts

Stoecker, Diane K.; Michaels, Ann E.; Davis, Linda H.

doi:10.1038/326790a0

Cited by 175 publications

(111 citation statements)

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“…It has been reported that mixotrophic ciliates like Myrionecta rubra dominate plankton assemblages at certain times of the year (Stoecker et al, 1987). This was also the case during Experiment 1 (Figure 4).…”

Section: Transfer Techniquesupporting

confidence: 62%

Conserving original in situ diversity in microzooplankton grazing set-ups

Löder¹,

Aberle²,

Klaas

et al. 2010

Mar. Biodivers. Rec.

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Grazing experiments targeting the determination of in situ grazing rates are standard. In two separate experiments the effect of the frequently used siphon filling technique on the abundance of microzooplankton during the set-up of grazing experiments was investigated and compared to results from an alternative filling method. Hereby, water containing natural communities from Helgoland Roads, Germany (54811.3 ′ N 7854.0 ′ E), was transferred into incubation bottles using a funnel system (funnel-transfer technique (FTT)). The impact of pre-screening with a 200 mm net for excluding larger mesozooplankton grazers from the incubations was evaluated. Results show that the ciliate community was strongly affected by siphoning and pre-screening, leading to significant differences in abundance and Margalef diversity. The most affected ciliates were Lohmanniella oviformis and Myrionecta rubra, both important species in the North Sea. Dinoflagellates did not show any significant response to either siphoning or pre-screening with the exception of one athecate species. Such artificial bias in ciliate assemblages is very problematic for biodiversity consideration and grazing investigations. Simply changing the method of filling during the experimental set-up can ensure the measurement of accurate grazing rates of field abundances of microzooplankton. We thus recommend using conservative filling approaches like the FTT in experiments, especially when sensitive species are present, in order to avoid shifts in the overall microzooplankton community. Furthermore, we recommend introducing a control to evaluate the degree of changes in the target community due to the experimental set-up.

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Section: Transfer Techniquesupporting

confidence: 62%

Conserving original in situ diversity in microzooplankton grazing set-ups

Löder¹,

Aberle²,

Klaas

et al. 2010

Mar. Biodivers. Rec.

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“…Kleptoplastids are found in a wide range of host species such as ciliates (Stoecker et al 1987;Esteban et al 2009), foraminifera (Richardson 2001) and also in multicellular organisms (Mujer et al 1996). Interestingly, EGT was recently demonstrated in the sea slug Elysia chlorotica, which feeds on the xanthophyte Vaucheria litorea, and retains its plastids in functional state for up to nine months (Mujer et al 1996).…”

Section: (D) Dinoflagellatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endosymbiotic associations within protists

Nowack

Melkonian

2010

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

207

168

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The establishment of an endosymbiotic relationship typically seems to be driven through complementation of the host's limited metabolic capabilities by the biochemical versatility of the endosymbiont. The most significant examples of endosymbiosis are represented by the endosymbiotic acquisition of plastids and mitochondria, introducing photosynthesis and respiration to eukaryotes. However, there are numerous other endosymbioses that evolved more recently and repeatedly across the tree of life. Recent advances in genome sequencing technology have led to a better understanding of the physiological basis of many endosymbiotic associations. This review focuses on endosymbionts in protists (unicellular eukaryotes). Selected examples illustrate the incorporation of various new biochemical functions, such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and recycling, and methanogenesis, into protist hosts by prokaryotic endosymbionts. Furthermore, photosynthetic eukaryotic endosymbionts display a great diversity of modes of integration into different protist hosts.In conclusion, endosymbiosis seems to represent a general evolutionary strategy of protists to acquire novel biochemical functions and is thus an important source of genetic innovation.

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“…Although such nutritional versatility confers undoubted advantages on those protozoa that possess it, the contribution of these organisms to overall photosynthesis in the plankton varies considerably. The freshwater oligotrich Strombidium viride, for example, contributed only 0.5% of total carbon fixation in a eutrophic temperate lake (Perriss et al 1994) whereas the marine species Laboea strobilu contributed an estimated average 2% in Georges Bank (NW Atlantic;Stoecker 1991). In some tropical and subtropical lakes, however, the proportion of mixotrophic ciliates (usually oligotrichs) is high, which suggests that mixotrophic ciliates may be contributing significantly to photosynthesis in the plankton (Hecky and Kling 1981;Beaver et al 1988).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The assimilation numbers of Stentor compare with marine plastidic mixotrophic ciliates and the cryptophycean-containing, apparently entirely autotrophic Mesodinium rubrum (Stoecker and Michaels, 1991). However, both the rates of photosynthesis and the chlorophyll-specific rates are likely to be underestimates when derived from 14C uptake, because as Stoecker and Michaels (1991) suggested, the endosymbiont or plastids must also be using the CO, evolved by the ciliate, and the photosynthate may be preferentially respired in mixotrophs, reducing net measurable photosynthetic rates. Additionally, the endosymbionts may also derive some, or all, of its phosphorus and nitrogen requirements from the excretory products of the ciliate.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The assimilation number, or chlorophyll-specific photosynthetic rate [Fg C (kg Chl a)-' h-l], of the freshwater species S. viride was 0.33 (Perriss et al 1994), which is less efficient than all of the marine species investigated to date (Putt 1990;Stoecker et al 1987;Stoecker et al 1989). Marine species of plastidic Strombidium had chlorophyllspecific rates of photosynthesis ranging between 0.7 and 4.0.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A mixotrophic ciliate as a major contributor to plankton photosynthesis in Australian lakes

Laybourn‐Parry

Seaton

Rohozinski

1997

Limnology & Oceanography

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Abstract-A large mixotrophic ciliate (-200 km long) of the genus Stentor is a common constituent of the protozooplankton of Australian lakes. We investigated the photosynthetic rates of populations of this ciliate from two lakes, one in the Australian Capital Territory and the other on the New South Wales/Victorian border, in relation to photosynthesis by the whole phytoplankton community. The concentration of the ciliate varied between 192 and 4,267 cells liter-l during the study period of May-January (the au&al winter, spring, and autumn) and it contributed between 4.3 and 69.3% of total plankton photosynthesis. Individual photosynthetic rates ranged between 1.03 + 0.8 and 3.98 + 0.6 ng C cell-' h-l and individual Chl a content between 925 ? 62 to 1,461 ? 63 pg cell-', giving assimilation numbers of 1.00-2.74. Lightresponse curves indicated that the ciliate achieved its highest rates of photosynthesis at high photon fluxes, typical of the surface waters. Vertical distribution patterns of Stentor in the water column of one of the lakes supported these physiological data. Southern hemisphere lakes seem to have a protozooplankton that may contain substantial numbers of a large ciliate capable of contributing a significant portion of carbon fixation in the plankton.

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Large proportion of marine planktonic ciliates found to contain functional chloroplasts

Cited by 175 publications

References 12 publications

Conserving original in situ diversity in microzooplankton grazing set-ups

Conserving original in situ diversity in microzooplankton grazing set-ups

Endosymbiotic associations within protists

A mixotrophic ciliate as a major contributor to plankton photosynthesis in Australian lakes

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