Facing unknowns: living cultures (Pirum gemmata gen. nov., sp. nov., and Abeoforma whisleri, gen. nov., sp. nov.) from invertebrate digestive tracts represent an undescribed clade within the unicellular Opisthokont lineage ichthyosporea (Mesomycetozoea).

摘要: During a culture-based survey of opisthokonts living in marine invertebrate digestive tracts, we isolated two new eukaryotes that differed from described taxa by more than 10% their small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed the isolates represented divergent clade ichthyosporeans known previously only environmental clone We used light and electron microscopy to describe as genera species Pirum gemmata Abeoforma whisleri. A. whisleri had complex life cycle remains incompletely but involved walled spherical cells, plasmodia amoebae. Asexual reproduction occurred via dispersal amoebae, endospores, binary fission budding. In contrast P. less with no amoeboid or plasmodial stages. Both membrane-bound tubular extensions cytoplasm embedded inner layers cell walls. By comparing other ichthyosporea speculate on characters may have been present ancestral ichthyosporean. illustrate unique diverse forms can be found capturing belonging uncultured lineages.