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Published on: May 1, 2021
Spirochete attachment ultrastructure: Implications for the origin and evolution of cilia
Andrew M Wier1, Luciano Sacchi, Michael F Dolan
1Pace University, Pleasantville, New York 10570-2799, USA.
The Biological Bulletin
|March 6, 2010
Summary
Spirochetes attach to termite gut protist membranes, forming a fringe resembling cilia. These attachments suggest an evolutionary link between spirochetes and eukaryotic flagella, offering insights into symbiosis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Symbiosis
Background:
- Anaerobic protists in termite hindguts harbor ectosymbiotic spirochetes.
- Spirochete attachment structures on protist membranes show evolutionary patterns.
- Termite gut symbionts provide a model for studying host-microbe interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fine structure of spirochete attachments to anaerobic protist plasma membranes.
- To explore the evolutionary implications of spirochete-protist associations.
- To characterize the morphology and attachment mechanisms of ectosymbiotic spirochetes.
Main Methods:
- Electron microscopy to visualize spirochete-protist interactions.
- Morphological analysis of spirochete and protist attachment structures.
- Comparative analysis of spirochete structures with eukaryotic organelles.
Main Results:
- Spirochetes form a "vestment" or fringe on the protist plasma membrane.
- Attachment sites exhibit hypertrophied structures resembling ciliate kinetids.
- Both helical and round-body (RB) spirochete morphotypes were observed, with RBs acting as potential propagules.
- Distinctive attachment structures were noted on both spirochete and protist surfaces.
Conclusions:
- Spirochete attachments to protists may represent an evolutionary stage analogous to the development of eukaryotic undulipodia.
- The observed structures suggest a complex co-evolutionary relationship between spirochetes and anaerobic protists.
- The findings contribute to understanding the origins of eukaryotic motility structures and symbiotic associations.
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