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Rediscovery of Nucleophaga amoebae, a novel member of the Rozellomycota

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Abstract

Recent studies showed that the huge diversity branching at or near the phylogenetic root of the fungal kingdom, mostly constituted by uncultured environmental clones, is actually characterized by intracellular predators/parasites of various eukaryotes. These form three related lineages: the Aphelidea, endoparasites of algae; the Rozellomycota, with Rozella species mainly endoparasites of water moulds, and Paramicrosporidium species endonuclear parasites of amoebae; and the Microsporidia, mainly endoparasites of animals. Increasing evidence suggests the emergence of Microsporidia from within Rozellomycota; however, their fungal or protistan nature is still unclear. Here, we report the molecular phylogeny based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rDNA) gene, of an additional endoparasite of amoebae, corresponding to the old enigmatic chytrid Nucleophaga amoebae described in the nineteenth century. Our results show that Nucleophaga, possessing a morphotype intermediate between Rozella and Paramicrosporidium, emerges as a unique lineage within the Rozellomycota. The recovery and characterization of new members of Rozellomycota are of high value for the understanding of the early evolutionary history of the Fungi and related lineages.

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Acknowledgments

We thank R. Kurek for the assistance and previous microscopy data. This study was supported by internal fundings of each laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CHLAREAS Chlamydia Research Association, Nancy, 12 rue du Maconnais, 54500, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Daniele Corsaro & Danielle Venditti

  2. Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1095, Vienna, Austria

    Julia Walochnik

  3. Tredi Research Department, Faculty of Medecine, Technopôle de Nancy-Brabois, 9, Avenue de la Forêt de Haye, B.P. 184, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Danielle Venditti

  4. Institut of Medical Microbiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr.179, 45147, Essen, Germany

    Karl-Dieter Müller

  5. Central Institute of the Federal Armed Forces Medical Services, P.O. Box 7340, 56070, Koblenz, Germany

    Bärbel Hauröder & Rolf Michel

Authors
  1. Daniele Corsaro
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  2. Julia Walochnik
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  3. Danielle Venditti
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  4. Karl-Dieter Müller
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  5. Bärbel Hauröder
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  6. Rolf Michel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniele Corsaro.

Electronic supplementary material

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Supplementary Figure 1

Maximum-Likelihood 18S rDNA tree of Fungi, other opisthokonts (Animalia and Choanozoa), Apusozoa and Amoebozoa, the latter used as root. Full tree topology is shown for the Rozellomycota, to demonstrate the relative position of the three cultured genus-level taxa (in bold) identified in this group. Other major groups are collapsed (see Suppl. Table 1). Branchs are shortened to 1/2 (Thecamonas, Dictyostelium) or 1/3 (Entamoeba). Bootstrap values >50 % are indicated (1000 replicates). (PDF 209 kb)

Supplementary Table 1

List of taxon names and GenBank accession numbers used in this study. (XLS 35 kb)

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Corsaro, D., Walochnik, J., Venditti, D. et al. Rediscovery of Nucleophaga amoebae, a novel member of the Rozellomycota. Parasitol Res 113, 4491–4498 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4138-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4138-8

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