Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
08:58
RNA Fluorescence in situ Hybridization FISH to Visualize Microbial Colonization and Infection in Caenorhabditis elegans Intestines
Published on: July 27, 2022
4.1K
FLATWORM TRANSCRIPTOMES REVEAL WIDESPREAD PARASITISM BY HISTOPHAGOUS CILIATES.
M Ryan Woodcock1,2,3, Kaleigh Powers1, Kirsten Snead2,4
1Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|September 25, 2023
Summary
Histophagous ciliates, including Tetrahymena, parasitize flatworms. Bioinformatics identified thousands of ciliate transcripts in Platyhelminthes, confirming parasitism in new species and suggesting coevolution.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Bioinformatics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Unicellular ciliates, such as Tetrahymena, are known bacterivores but can also be parasites feeding on host tissues.
- These histophagous ciliates infect a range of hosts, including fish and freshwater mussels.
- Planarian flatworms are known hosts, but the extent of ciliate parasitism within Platyhelminthes is not fully understood.
Conclusions:
- Platyhelminthes serves as a significant host group for histophagous ciliates, with potential for coevolution.
- Invasive flatworms may act as novel dispersal vectors for Tetrahymena parasites.
- The study establishes Platyhelminthes as a valuable model system for studying the ecology and evolution of histophagous ciliates.
- Paromomycin treatment offers a method to study the impact of Tetrahymena on planarian biology.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Diversity of Protists II
33
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...
33
01:15Diversity of Protists I
31
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...
31