7,562 research outputs found
Eimeria yemenensae n.sp. ( Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the rock agama ( Agama yemenensis) in Saudi Arabia
No full textEimeria yemenensae nsp. is described from the intestine of Agama yemenensis from Asir, southern region, Saudi
Arabia, Sporulated oocysts are elongate-ellipsoid, 29.2 X 17.6 (26.4-31.5 X 15519.0) pm, with smooth greenish-yellow
bilayered wall, 1.03 (0.9-1.3) pm. Micropyle, polar granule and oocyst residuum are absent. Sporocysts are
ellipsoid, 10.5 x 7.0 (8.0-11.0 X 6.4-7.8) pm. Sporocyst residuum is present. The sporocysts lack a Stieda body.
Sporozoitesa re crescent-shapedb,l unt at one end and slightly tapered at the other. Eimeria speciesfr om Agamidae
are compared.Corresponding Author:
Prof. Dr. Khaled AL-Rasheid
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud Unicersity P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
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Morphology and Phylogeny of a New Frontonia Ciliate, F. paramagna spec. nov. (Ciliophora, Peniculida) from Harbin, Northeast China
No full textChen, Ying, Zhao, Yan, Pan, Xuming, Ding, Wenqiao, Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S., Qiu, Zijian (2014): Morphology and Phylogeny of a New Frontonia Ciliate, F. paramagna spec. nov. (Ciliophora, Peniculida) from Harbin, Northeast China. Zootaxa 3827 (3): 375-386, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3827.3.
Commencement 2010: Senior Day author Khaled Hosseini
No full textIncludes descriptive metadata provided by producer in MP4 file: "Video @ Vanderbilt - Videos - Commencement 2010: Senior Day author Khaled Hosseini." By Vanderbilt University.Excerpts of commencement speach of Khaled Hosseini, author of the bestsellers The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini spoke May 13 in a packed Memorial Gymnasium to 2010 graduates, their friends and family members.
“I ask you to seek out people in your community in need – to try not just to understand them, but to help them,” Hosseini said
Morphology and phylogeny of four trachelocercid ciliates (Ciliophora, Karyorelictea, Trachelocercidae) from North China Sea, with description of a new species
No full textTrachelolophos binucleatus Yan & Xu & Al-Farraj & Al-Rasheid & Song 2016, SP. NOV.
No full textTRACHELOLOPHOS BINUCLEATUS SP. NOV. (FIGS 4, 5; TABLE 1) Diagnosis: Body size in vivo 500–1000 × 25–35 μm; 9–19 and 17–26 somatic kineties on head and trunk, respectively; single nuclear group composed of two or three macronuclei and one micronucleus; narrow glabrous stripe, corresponding to area occupied by two somatic kineties; cortical granules colourless and about 0.5 μm in diameter. Type locality: The intertidal zone of a bathing beach in Qingdao, China (35°55′45″N, 120°12′59″E), where the water temperature was 16 °C and salinity about 33‰ (Fig. 1A). Type specimens: A protargol-impregnated slide containing the holotype specimen marked with an ink circle is deposited in the Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China, China (No. YY2013052403). One paratype slide is deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, UK, with registration number NHMUK 2015.9.15.2. Etymology: The species-group name binucleatus reflects the fact that this organism usually has two macronuclei. Description: Fully extended cells about 700 × 30 μm in vivo; body flexible and flattened ribbon-like with claviform head and pointed tail (Figs 4A–C, 5A–C). Body colour dark at low magnification with neck and tail portion transparent due to packed inclusions (Figs 4A, D, 5A, D). Single nuclear group located in centre of trunk, containing two or three macronuclei, 7–10 μm in diameter, and one micronucleus, 3–6 μm in diameter (Figs 4A, D, I, 5D, G, H). Colourless cortical granules, c. 0.5 μm in diameter, arranged in line between ciliary rows and scattered in glabrous stripe (Figs 4F, 5E, F). Locomotion by gliding between sand grains and organic debris. Cell surface densely ciliated with unciliated zone, glabrous stripe, about as wide as two somatic kineties (Figs 4F, H, 5J, M). Entire infraciliature consisting of dikinetids with cilia c. 10 μm long (Figs 4H, I, 5G). About 14 and 19 somatic kineties on head and trunk, respectively. Anterior and posterior secant system formed on left side of glabrous stripe where some kineties abut to bristle kinety (Figs 4F, H, 5J, M). Oral infraciliature consisting of uninterrupted circumoral kinety and conspicuous ciliary tuft located in centre of oral cavity (Figs 4F, G, 3I, L). Comparison: Similar to Trachelolophos quadrinucleatus sp. nov., the current new species should be compared with its known congeners. All measurements in μm. Abbreviations: CV, coefficient of variation (%); Ma, macronuclei; Mi, micronuclei; NG, nuclear groups; SD, standard deviation; SK, somatic kineties; N, number of specimens. Trachelolophos filum can be separated from the new species by having more somatic kineties on the trunk (26–35 vs. 17–26) and more macronuclei (6–30 forming a strand vs. two or three forming a nuclear group) (Foissner & Dragesco, 1996b). Trachelolophos gigas differs from T. binucleatus sp. nov. in possessing a longer body length (2000 μm vs. 500–1000 μm), more somatic kineties on the trunk (52– 71 vs. 17–26) and more macronuclei (17–33 macronuclei forming a strand vs. two or three forming a nuclear group) (Foissner & Dragesco, 1996b). Trachelolophos binucleatus sp. nov. differs from T. quadrinucleatus sp. nov. (above) in having far fewer somatic kineties on the trunk (17–26 vs. 26– 40) and fewer macronuclei (two or three vs. three or four).Published as part of Yan, Ying, Xu, Yuan, Al-Farraj, Saleh A., Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S. & Song, Weibo, 2016, Morphology and phylogeny of three trachelocercids (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Karyorelictea), with description of two new species and insight into the evolution of the family Trachelocercidae, pp. 306-319 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177 (2) on pages 309-311, DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12364, http://zenodo.org/record/546060
Characterization of the macronuclear and micronuclear pheromone genes of Euplotes raikovi reveals the origin of the mating type genetic diversity
No full textCiliates produce diffusible, cell-type-specific pheromones to regulate growth and mating. In Euplotes, these signaling molecules belong to species-specific families of disulfide-rich and structurally homologous proteins. Pheromones are co-dominantly expressed by genes in the somatic macronucleus (MAC), whereas their allelic diversity originates from the mating type locus in the germline micronucleus (MIC). During MAC development in sexual process, the MIC-derived diversity of specific alleles is rearranged via macronucleus-destined sequences (MDSs) assembly. While many MAC pheromones are well characterized, their MIC precursors and rearrangement process remain unknown. Here, we identified two MAC pheromone genes (mac-er-13/14) of E. raikovi, and two MIC regions (19 kb in total) containing 10 MDSs that assemble into mac-er-13. These MDSs are separated by internal eliminated sequences (234-3345 bp). The shortest MDSs (9-36 bp) encode the secreted region of pheromone, while longer MDSs (44-419 bp) encode other regions. Considering that the secreted regions show a higher sequence variation and the shorter MDSs have higher probability of alternative processing or imprecise assembly, we hypothesize that the high sequence variability of the macronuclear pheromone genes, which underlies the large number of mating types in E. raikovi, may result from alternative processing or imprecise assembly of these short MDSs
Frontonia multinucleata Long, Song, Al-Rasheid & Wang, 2008, n. sp.
No full textFrontonia multinucleata n. sp. (Figs. 4–6; Table 1) Diagnosis: marine Frontonia in vivo 70–120 × 40–75 µm, dorsoventrally flattened about 2:1. 58– 67 somatic, 3 vestibular and 4–5 postoral kineties. 3 peniculi each with 4 kineties. 2–4 globular macronuclear nodules. Single contractile vacuole located in posterior 1 / 3 of cell length. Type location: A clear sandy beach (salinity 30 ‰) of Qingdao, China. Type slides: One holotype with silver nitrate impregnated specimens (slide number: 2007: 5: 17: 2) is deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, UK, and one paratype (slide number: 2006060101 - 2) is deposited in the Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China. Etymology: This species is the first one in Frontonia which has more than one macronucleus (2–4). Thus, it is named according to this character: multi- (many), nucleata. Description: Size in vivo about 70–120 × 40–75 µm. Cell shape rather constant, ellipsoidal in outline when viewed from ventral side (Figs. 4 A, 4 B; 5 A, 5 D). Dorsoventrally flattened about 2: 1. Extrusomes spindle-shaped, about 8 µm long (20–25 µm long after being ejected, Fig. 5 B), densely arranged in cortex (Figs. 4 A, 4 B; 6 C). Somatic cilia about 8 µm long. Cytoplasm colorless or grayish, often full of tiny granules, especially in caudal part (Figs. 4 A, 4 B; 5 A, 5 D). In all specimens observed from the culture which maintained for about 2 weeks, macronuclear nodules always in 2–4, yet mostly 4, generally globular in shape and about the same size, grouped or sparsely distributed (Figs. 4 A, 4 B, 4 G, 4 I; 6 B, 6 E, 6 F). One large contractile vacuole located in posterior 1 / 3 of cell length, ca. 15 µm in diameter (Figs. 4 A, 4 B, 4 E, 4 J; 5 E). Movement mainly by gliding back and forth on substrate; when swimming, moderately rapid with rotation around the long axis of the cell. Infraciliature as shown in Figs. 4 I–K. Both anterior and postoral sutures conspicuous, which extend onto dorsal side (Fig. 4 C, 4 I, 4 J). On average 63 somatic kineties; 4–5 postoral kineties (PK, Figs. 4 H, 4 I, 4 K; 6 N); 3 vestibular kineties, conspicuously short (Figs. 4 H, 4 I, 4 K; 6 J, 6 L). Single CVP right dorsally located, at approximately posterior 1 / 3 of cell length (Figs. 4 C; 6 G, 6 K). Triangular buccal cavity occupying about 1 / 5 of body length. Peniculus 1–3 about equally long, all with 4 kineties; among them, P 3 curved to right whose length becomes conspicuously shorter from right to left (Figs. 4 F, 4 H, 4 I, 4 K; 6 D, 6 H). Double-rowed paroral membrane on right side of buccal cavity (Figs. 4 H, 4 I, 4 K; 6 L). Argentophilic line positioned parallel to paroral membrane (Fig. 4 H). Silverline system as quadrangular cortical meshes (Fig. 6 I). Comparison: Frontonia multinucleata n. sp. is the only one among members of the genus, which has consistently several macronuclear nodules (vs. single in all other known congeners). Hence, the new species is easily recognizable (Fig. 10 C, 10 D, 10 I, 10 J, 10 K, 10 M, 10 N, 10 R, 10 S; Table 2).Published as part of Long, Hongan, Song, Weibo, Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S. & Wang, Yangang, 2008, Taxonomic studies on three marine species of Frontonia from northern China: F. didieri n. sp., F. multinucleata n. sp. and F. tchibisovae Burkovsky, 1970 (Ciliophora: Peniculida), pp. 35-50 in Zootaxa 1687 on page 41, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18052
Figure 6 in Three marine haptorid ciliates from northern China: Paraspathidium apofuscum n. sp., Trachelotractus entzi (Kahl, 1927) Foissner, 1997 and Apotrachelotractus variabialis Long, Song and Warren, 2009 (Protozoa, Ciliophora)
No full textFigure 6. Apotrachelotractus variabialis Long, Song and Warren, 2009 after protargol staining (A, B, D–I) and from live cells (C). (A, B) infraciliature, arrow marks the contractile vacuole pore; (C) fully-extended individuals; (D, E) to show extrusomes (arrowheads) and macronuclear nodules, double-arrowheads indicate nematodesmata, arrow marks the contractile vacuole pore; (F–I) structure of anterior parts, arrows indicate the circumoral kinety, arrowheads show the suture on the "neck". Notes: B, brush kinety; PB, pharyngeal basket; scale bars: 60 µm (A); 45 µm (D); 30 µm (F, H).Published as part of Long, Hongan, Song, Weibo, Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. & Gong, Jun, 2009, Three marine haptorid ciliates from northern China: Paraspathidium apofuscum n. sp., Trachelotractus entzi (Kahl, 1927) Foissner, 1997 and Apotrachelotractus variabialis Long, Song and Warren, 2009 (Protozoa, Ciliophora), pp. 1749-1761 in Journal of Natural History 43 (29-32) on page 1757, DOI: 10.1080/00222930902781038, http://zenodo.org/record/521671
Frontonia didieri Long, Song, Al-Rasheid & Wang, 2008, n. sp.
No full textFrontonia didieri n. sp. (Figs. 1–3; Table 1) Diagnosis: Marine Frontonia in vivo ca. 100–150 × 45–80 μm, body dorsoventrally slightly flattened. 61–71 somatic, consistently 3 vestibular while 3–5 postoral kineties. Both peniculus 1 and 2 consisting of 4 kinety rows; peniculus 3 three-rowed, extremely different in lengths. One oval macronucleus. Single contractile vacuole centrally-located, with about eight conspicuous collecting canals. Type location: A mesotrophic sandy beach near Qingdao, salinity ca. 12 ‰. Type slides: One holotype with protargol impregnated specimens (slide number: 2007: 5: 17: 1) is deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, UK, and one paratype with silver nitrate impregnated specimens (slide number: 2005110701 - 2) is deposited in the Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China. Etymology: We dedicate this species to Dr. Pierre Didier, a famous French protozoologist, who has greatly contributed to the ciliate taxonomy and systematics. Description: Size in vivo mostly about 120 × 60 µm, with ratio of length: width about 2: 1. Body shape rather constant, elliptical in outline with both anterior and posterior ends slightly narrow; dorsoventrally flattened about 5: 4 (Figs. 1 A, 1 E; 3 A). Extrusomes spindle-shaped, about 4 µm long, densely arranged (Figs. 1 A; 3 B). Somatic cilia about 7 µm long. Cytoplasm transparent and colourless, usually filled with many large diatoms (up to 50 µm long) (Figs. 1 A, 1 E; 3 E). Macronucleus ellipsoidal, centrally positioned (Figs. 1 C, 1 E, 1 F; 3 H). One contractile vacuole (CV), about 15 µm in diameter, positioned equatorially, with ca. eight long and conspicuous collecting canals (Figs. 1 A; 3 J). CV-pores (CVP) mid-dorsally positioned (Fig. 2 A–D). Movement mostly by gliding back and forth on substrate; when swimming, moderately fast with rotation about the long axis of the cell. Buccal cavity shallow and small, triangular in outline, occupying about 1 / 6 of body length (Figs. 1 A; 3 A– C, 3 G). Buccal apparatus as shown in Figs. 1 C, 1 G and 3 F, 3 K: consistently 3 long vestibular kineties (VK) with densely arranged kinetosomes, extending from anterior level of buccal cavity to about middle level of cell. 3 peniculi (P 1–3) located on left wall of cavity: P 1 and 2 about equally long, positioned close to each other, and each composed of 4 rows of kinetosomes, whereas the posterior ends of those rows in P 1 are conspicuously shortened; peniculus 3 (P 3) consisting of only 3 kineties, of which only the rightmost one is complete, the middle row is about half length and the leftmost one is extremely shortened, i.e. about 1 / 10 length of rightmost one. The paroral membrane (PM) double-rowed, located on right edge of the buccal cavity (Figs. 1 G; 3 F). On average 66 somatic kineties. Both anterior and postoral sutures conspicuously long and extending onto dorsal side (Figs. 1 C, 1 F; 2 A–D). 3–5 postoral kineties (PK) locating posterior to the buccal cavity and ending at the postoral suture (PS) (Fig. 1 C, 1 D, 1 G). Silverline system as in other congeners: quadrangular cortical meshes after silver nitrate impregnation (Fig. 3 D). to be continued. Comparison: Currently, over 40 morphotypes have been included in the genus Frontonia (Bullington 1939; Carey 1992; Dragesco 1960; Dragesco 1972; Dragesco & Dragesco-Kernéis 1986; Foissner et al. 1994; Kahl 1931; Long et al. 2005; Petz et al. 1995; Roque 1961; Roque & Puytorac 1972). Among those, about 27 were reported from fresh water biotopes, whereas F. didieri n. sp. is diagnosed by the unique, conspicuous contractile vacuole collecting canals from living cells (Alekperov 2005; Burkovsky 1970 a, b; Foissner et al. 1994; Long et al. 2005; Petz et al. 1995; Roque 1961; Roque and Puytorac 1972). Considering the body shape, size and the marine habitat, Frontonia didieri n. sp. is similar to F. caneti Dragesco, 1960 and F. vacuolata Dragesco, 1960 though in both forms the detailed structure of the oral apparatus is lacking (Table 2; Dragesco 1960). Nevertheless, F. d i d i e r i n. sp. can be clearly distinguished in vivo from the latter two by its centrally located contractile vacuole with the prominent collecting canals (vs. no collecting canals, CV left and located subcaudally in F. c a n e t i, or located caudally in F. vacuolata) (Fig. 10 D and 10 Q). Frontonia lynni and F. salmastra Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986 also resemble F. didieri n. sp. with reference to the general morphology (i.e. living cells) and the infraciliature of the buccal apparatus (Fig. 10 I, 10 J, 10 O, 10 P). The new species can be recognized, however, in the presence of the collecting canals (vs. no collecting canals in the latter species), lower number of somatic kineties (61–71 vs. 71–83 in F. lynni, 90–100 in F. salmastra) and fewer kinety rows in peniculus 3 (3 vs. 4 in F. lynni and F. s a l m a s t r a) (Table 2). In addition, the dissimilarity of both forms is firmly supported by 18 S rRNA gene sequence data as the sequence of F. didieri differs significantly in 143 nucleotides from that of F. l y n n i (structural similarity 91.8%) (Fig. 11).Published as part of Long, Hongan, Song, Weibo, Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S. & Wang, Yangang, 2008, Taxonomic studies on three marine species of Frontonia from northern China: F. didieri n. sp., F. multinucleata n. sp. and F. tchibisovae Burkovsky, 1970 (Ciliophora: Peniculida), pp. 35-50 in Zootaxa 1687 on pages 36-41, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18052
Frontonia didieri Long, Song, Al-Rasheid & Wang, 2008, n. sp.
No full textFrontonia didieri n. sp. (Figs. 1–3; Table 1) Diagnosis: Marine Frontonia in vivo ca. 100–150 × 45–80 μm, body dorsoventrally slightly flattened. 61–71 somatic, consistently 3 vestibular while 3–5 postoral kineties. Both peniculus 1 and 2 consisting of 4 kinety rows; peniculus 3 three-rowed, extremely different in lengths. One oval macronucleus. Single contractile vacuole centrally-located, with about eight conspicuous collecting canals. Type location: A mesotrophic sandy beach near Qingdao, salinity ca. 12 ‰. Type slides: One holotype with protargol impregnated specimens (slide number: 2007: 5: 17: 1) is deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, UK, and one paratype with silver nitrate impregnated specimens (slide number: 2005110701 - 2) is deposited in the Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China. Etymology: We dedicate this species to Dr. Pierre Didier, a famous French protozoologist, who has greatly contributed to the ciliate taxonomy and systematics. Description: Size in vivo mostly about 120 × 60 µm, with ratio of length: width about 2: 1. Body shape rather constant, elliptical in outline with both anterior and posterior ends slightly narrow; dorsoventrally flattened about 5: 4 (Figs. 1 A, 1 E; 3 A). Extrusomes spindle-shaped, about 4 µm long, densely arranged (Figs. 1 A; 3 B). Somatic cilia about 7 µm long. Cytoplasm transparent and colourless, usually filled with many large diatoms (up to 50 µm long) (Figs. 1 A, 1 E; 3 E). Macronucleus ellipsoidal, centrally positioned (Figs. 1 C, 1 E, 1 F; 3 H). One contractile vacuole (CV), about 15 µm in diameter, positioned equatorially, with ca. eight long and conspicuous collecting canals (Figs. 1 A; 3 J). CV-pores (CVP) mid-dorsally positioned (Fig. 2 A–D). Movement mostly by gliding back and forth on substrate; when swimming, moderately fast with rotation about the long axis of the cell. Buccal cavity shallow and small, triangular in outline, occupying about 1 / 6 of body length (Figs. 1 A; 3 A– C, 3 G). Buccal apparatus as shown in Figs. 1 C, 1 G and 3 F, 3 K: consistently 3 long vestibular kineties (VK) with densely arranged kinetosomes, extending from anterior level of buccal cavity to about middle level of cell. 3 peniculi (P 1–3) located on left wall of cavity: P 1 and 2 about equally long, positioned close to each other, and each composed of 4 rows of kinetosomes, whereas the posterior ends of those rows in P 1 are conspicuously shortened; peniculus 3 (P 3) consisting of only 3 kineties, of which only the rightmost one is complete, the middle row is about half length and the leftmost one is extremely shortened, i.e. about 1 / 10 length of rightmost one. The paroral membrane (PM) double-rowed, located on right edge of the buccal cavity (Figs. 1 G; 3 F). On average 66 somatic kineties. Both anterior and postoral sutures conspicuously long and extending onto dorsal side (Figs. 1 C, 1 F; 2 A–D). 3–5 postoral kineties (PK) locating posterior to the buccal cavity and ending at the postoral suture (PS) (Fig. 1 C, 1 D, 1 G). Silverline system as in other congeners: quadrangular cortical meshes after silver nitrate impregnation (Fig. 3 D). to be continued. Comparison: Currently, over 40 morphotypes have been included in the genus Frontonia (Bullington 1939; Carey 1992; Dragesco 1960; Dragesco 1972; Dragesco & Dragesco-Kernéis 1986; Foissner et al. 1994; Kahl 1931; Long et al. 2005; Petz et al. 1995; Roque 1961; Roque & Puytorac 1972). Among those, about 27 were reported from fresh water biotopes, whereas F. didieri n. sp. is diagnosed by the unique, conspicuous contractile vacuole collecting canals from living cells (Alekperov 2005; Burkovsky 1970 a, b; Foissner et al. 1994; Long et al. 2005; Petz et al. 1995; Roque 1961; Roque and Puytorac 1972). Considering the body shape, size and the marine habitat, Frontonia didieri n. sp. is similar to F. caneti Dragesco, 1960 and F. vacuolata Dragesco, 1960 though in both forms the detailed structure of the oral apparatus is lacking (Table 2; Dragesco 1960). Nevertheless, F. d i d i e r i n. sp. can be clearly distinguished in vivo from the latter two by its centrally located contractile vacuole with the prominent collecting canals (vs. no collecting canals, CV left and located subcaudally in F. c a n e t i, or located caudally in F. vacuolata) (Fig. 10 D and 10 Q). Frontonia lynni and F. salmastra Dragesco and Dragesco-Kernéis, 1986 also resemble F. didieri n. sp. with reference to the general morphology (i.e. living cells) and the infraciliature of the buccal apparatus (Fig. 10 I, 10 J, 10 O, 10 P). The new species can be recognized, however, in the presence of the collecting canals (vs. no collecting canals in the latter species), lower number of somatic kineties (61–71 vs. 71–83 in F. lynni, 90–100 in F. salmastra) and fewer kinety rows in peniculus 3 (3 vs. 4 in F. lynni and F. s a l m a s t r a) (Table 2). In addition, the dissimilarity of both forms is firmly supported by 18 S rRNA gene sequence data as the sequence of F. didieri differs significantly in 143 nucleotides from that of F. l y n n i (structural similarity 91.8%) (Fig. 11).Published as part of Long, Hongan, Song, Weibo, Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S. & Wang, Yangang, 2008, Taxonomic studies on three marine species of Frontonia from northern China: F. didieri n. sp., F. multinucleata n. sp. and F. tchibisovae Burkovsky, 1970 (Ciliophora: Peniculida), pp. 35-50 in Zootaxa 1687 on pages 36-41, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18052
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