Ultrastructure of Diophrys appendiculata and new systematic consideration of the euplotid family Uronychiidae (Protista, Ciliophora)

The ultrastructure of ciliates carries important cytological, taxonomical, and evolutionary signals for these single-celled eukaryotic organisms. However, little ultrastructural data have been accumulated for most ciliate groups with systematic problems. In the present work, a well-known marine uronychiid, Diophrys appendiculata, was investigated using electron microscopy and a comparison with, and a discussion considering, phylogenetic analyses were made. The new findings primarily show that: (i) this species lacks the typical alveolar plate, bears cortical ampule-like extrusomes, and has microtubular triads in the dorsal pellicle, and thus exhibits some ultrastructural features in common with most of its previously studied congeners; (ii) each adoral membranelle before the level of frontal cirrus II/2 contains three rows of kinetosomes and each membranelle after the level of frontal cirrus II/2 contains four rows, which might be related with morphogenesis and could be considered as a distinctive character of Diophrys; (iii) some structural details of the buccal field, such as the extra-pellicular fibrils, pellicle, pharyngeal disks and microtubular sheet, were documented. In addition, based on the ultrastructural comparison of representatives, we discuss the differentiation between the subfamilies Diophryinae and Uronychiinae. A hypothetical systematic relationship of members in the order Euplotida based on a wide range of data is also provided.