Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Diversity of Protists II01:27

Diversity of Protists II

Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
Diversity of Protists I01:15

Diversity of Protists I

Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes01:24

Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
Yeast Signaling01:28

Yeast Signaling

Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Self-assembling proteins compose the chemically resistant shell biomaterial of planktonic tintinnid ciliates.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Editorial 2026.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same author

Dynamic stressor regimes drive shifts in biofilm-associated parasites.

Parasitology research·2026
Same author

Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses of ciliated protists with a revised classification of the phylum Ciliophora (Eukaryota, Alveolata).

Science China. Life sciences·2026
Same author

A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Single-cell genomics reveals complex microbial and viral associations in ciliates and testate amoebae.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus
05:34

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Published on: June 6, 2025

Secretive ciliates and putative asexuality in microbial eukaryotes.

Micah Dunthorn1, Laura A Katz

  • 1Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. dunthorn@rhrk.uni-kl.de

Trends in Microbiology
|March 20, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Many microbial eukaryotes, like colpodean ciliates, may be secretly sexual, challenging assumptions of widespread asexuality. This study suggests their apparent asexuality is an observational artifact, not evolutionary reality.

More Related Videos

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle
07:47

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

Published on: March 9, 2016

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans
06:49

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 9, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus
05:34

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Published on: June 6, 2025

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle
07:47

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

Published on: March 9, 2016

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans
06:49

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 9, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Microbial genomics
  • Eukaryotic evolution

Background:

  • Facultative sexuality is ancient in eukaryotes, but its prevalence in microbial eukaryotes is debated.
  • Colpodean ciliates, a terrestrial lineage, are largely considered asexual despite their ancient origins.
  • Only one derived sexual species is currently known within this clade.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the purported asexuality in colpodean ciliates as a model for microbial eukaryotes.
  • To determine if asexuality in this lineage is a true biological state or an observational artifact.
  • To explore the implications for understanding sexual reproduction in other microbial eukaryotes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of existing data on colpodean ciliates.
  • Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis (implied).
  • Review of theoretical frameworks for sexual reproduction.

Main Results:

  • The presumed asexuality of colpodean ciliates is likely an observational artifact.
  • Evidence suggests that many microbial eukaryotes may be "secretively sexual."
  • Theoretical models from macro-organisms support the unlikelihood of ancient asexual lineages and sex loss reversal.

Conclusions:

  • Colpodean ciliates are likely "secretively sexual," challenging current understanding.
  • The findings suggest a broader prevalence of hidden sexuality in microbial eukaryotes.
  • Further research is needed to ascertain the applicability of macro-organismal sexual theories to microbes.