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Genetic relationships in bipolar species of the protist ciliate, Euplotes

  • BIOLOGY OF THE ROSS SEA
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Abstract

Protists thrive in polar oceans, where they represent a major driving force for globally important biogeochemical cycles and a key food-web component. Their biogeography is frequently associated to bipolar patterns of distribution. Although conceptually well supported by apparently unrestricted migration rates, the experimental certification of these patterns copes with the protist paucity of morphological characters with taxonomic value and difficulties in applying conventional species concepts. We studied three marine species of the ciliate Euplotes, E. euryhalinus, E. nobilii, and E. petzi, for their bipolar distribution by comparing the SSU-rRNA gene sequences and mating interactions of Antarctic, Patagonian, and Arctic strains. Each species was analogously found not to carry significantly varied SSU-rRNA gene sequences, implying a common occurrence of trans-equatorial genetic mixing. However, mating analyses revealed significant inter-species differences. Scarce Antarctic × Arctic strain mating compatibility distinguished E. petzi from E. euryhalinus and E. nobilii, in which mating pairs between Antarctic and Arctic strains were successfully induced. Yet, E. nobilii was the only one of the two species to show cross-fertilizing and fertile mating pairs. Taking the biological concept of species as discriminatory, it was thus concluded that only E. nobilii warrants the definition of genuine bipolar species.

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Acknowledgments

The authors warmly thank anonymous reviewers for insightful and constructive criticisms, and Dr. Gill Philip for editing the English usage. The research was financially supported by the “Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide” (PNRA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56100, Pisa, Italy

    Graziano Di Giuseppe & Fernando Dini

  2. Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, Italy

    Adriana Vallesi & Pierangelo Luporini

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  1. Graziano Di Giuseppe
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  2. Fernando Dini
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  3. Adriana Vallesi
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  4. Pierangelo Luporini
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Correspondence to Adriana Vallesi.

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Guest editors: Diego Fontaneto & Stefano Schiaparelli / Biology of the Ross Sea and Surrounding Areas in Antarctica

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Di Giuseppe, G., Dini, F., Vallesi, A. et al. Genetic relationships in bipolar species of the protist ciliate, Euplotes . Hydrobiologia 761, 71–83 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2274-5

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