Unusual archamoeba Pelomyxa pilosa sp. nov. (Amoebozoa: Archamoebae: Pelobiontida): a light and electron microscopic study

L.V. Chistyakova, A.O. Frolov, A.V. Radaev, A.V. Smirnov & A.V. Goodkov

Abstract. This paper presents the results of a study and describes a new species of pelobionts, Pelomyxa pilosa sp. nov. (Archamoebae: Pelobiontida). This species was found in the bottom sediments of a pond near St Petersburg (Russia) and was examined using light, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. It is placed in the genus Pelomyxa Greeff, 1874 based on a combination of morphological features, including the mode of locomotion, the presence of numerous flagella, the organisation of the cytoplasm, and the presence of obligate prokaryotic endocytobionts. The new species can be easily distinguished from congeners by the specific presence of numerous prokaryotic ectobionts on the cell surface and the organisation of the nuclear apparatus. The nucleolar material in this species forms a hollow sphere consisting of tightly adjacent patches of various shapes and sizes, surrounded by granular material.

Key words: systematics, light microscopy, immunofluorescent staining, tubulin cytoskeleton, ultrastructure, Archamoebae, Pelomyxa, new species

Zoosystematica Rossica, 2024, 33(1): 130–139 ▪ Published online 17 July 2024

https://doi.org/10.31610/zsr/2024.33.1.130 ▪ Open full article

References

Adl Sina M., Bass D., Lane Ch.E., Lukeš J., Schoch C.L., Smirnov A., Agatha S., Berney C., Brown M.W., Burki F., Cárdenas P., Čepička I., Chistyakova L., del Campo J., Dunthorn M., Edvardsen B., Eglit Y., Guillou L., Hampl V., Heiss A.A., Hoppenrath M., James T.Y., Karnkowska A., Karpov S., Kim E., Kolisko M., Kudryavtsev A., Lahr D.J.G., Lara E., Le Gall L., Lynn D.H., Mann D.G., Massana R., Mitchell E.A.D., Morrow Ch., Park J.S., Pawlowski J.W., Powell M.J., Richter D.J., Rueckert S., Shadwick L., Shimano S., Spiegel F.W., Torruella G., Youssef N., Zlatogursky V. & Zhang Q. 2019. Revisions to the classification, nomenclature, and diversity of eukaryotes. Journal of eukaryotic Microbiology, 66: 4–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12691

Berdieva M.A., Chistyakova L.V., Miteva O.A., Frolov A.O. & Goodkov A.V. 2015. A light and electron microscopic study of Pelomyxa secunda (Gruber, 1884) comb. nov. (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Cell and Tissue Biology, 9: 158–165. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990519X15020029

Chavez L.A., Balamuth W. & Gong T. 1986. A light and electron microscopical study of a new, polymorphic free-living amoeba, Phreatamoeba balamuthi n. g., n. sp. Journal of Protozoology, 33: 397–404. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1550-7408.1986.tb05630.x

Chistyakova L.V. & Frolov A.O. 2011. Light and electron microscopic study of Pelomyxa stagnalis sp. n. (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Cell and Tissue Biology, 5: 90–97. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1990519X11010044

Chystyakova L.V., Miteva O.A. & Frolov A.O. 2012. Morphology of Mastigamoeba aspera Schulze, 1875 (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Cell and Tissue Biology, 6: 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990519X12020058

Chistiakova L.V., Miteva O.A., Frolov A.O. & Skarlato S.O. 2013. Comparative morphology of the subphylum Conosa Cavalier-Smith 1998. Tsitologiya, 55: 778–787. (In Russian).

Chistyakova L.V., Berdieva M.A., Frolov A.O. & Goodkov A.V. 2014. Reisolation and redescription of pelobiont Pelomyxa paradoxa Penard, 1902 (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Cell and Tissue Biology, 8: 504–512. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990519X14060029

Chistyakova L.V., Berdieva M.A., Kostygov A.Yu. & Frolov A.O. 2016. Diversity of symbiotic consortia of prokaryotes in the cells of pelomyxids (Archamoeba, Pelomyxidae). Protistology, 10: 13–25. https://www.zin.ru/journals/protistology/num10_1/chistyakova_protistology_10-1.pdf

Chistyakova L., Berdieva M., Tsarev V. & Frolov A. 2020a. Variation of the microtubular cytoskeleton organization in representatives of the genus Pelomyxa (Amoebozoa, Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Protistology, 14: 147–159. https://doi.org/10.21685/16800826-2020-14-3-4

Chistyakova L., Bezborodkina N., Berdieva M., Radaev A. & Goodkov A. 2020b.The nature and features of organization of reserve polysaccharides in three Pelomyxa species (Archamoebea, Pelobiontida). Protoplasma, 257: 1701–1708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-020-01546-5

Chistyakova L., Berdieva M., Goodkov A. & Frolov A. 2021. A forgotten Pelomyxa species: redescription of Pelomyxa tarda Gruber, 1887 (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Protistology, 15: 294–303. https://doi.org/10.21685/1680-0826-2021-15-4-5

Chistyakova L., Berdieva M., Goodkov A. & Frolov A. 2022. Pelomyxa doughnuta sp. nov. (Archamoebea, Pelobiontida) with an unusual nucleus-glycogen association. Journal of eukaryotic Microbiology, 69: e12889. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12889

Chistyakova L.V., Kostygov A.Yu., Goodkov A.V., Radaev A.V. & Frolov A.O. 2023. Phylogenetic position of the pelobiont Mastigamoeba aspera and revision of the family Mastigamoebidae (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). European Journal of Protistology, 91: 126029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2023.126029

Frolov A.O. 2011. Pelobiontida (Page, 1976) Griffin, 1988. In: Karpov S.A. (Ed.). Protista. Guide book on zoology, 3: 270–307. St Petersburg – Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. (In Russian).

Frolov A.O., Chystjakova L.V. & Goodkov A.V. 2004. A new pelobiont protist Pelomyxa corona sp. n. (Peloflagellatea, Pelobiontida). Protistology, 3: 233–241. https://www.zin.ru/journals/protistology/num3_4/frolov.pdf

Frolov A.O., Chistyakova L.V., Malysheva M.N. & Goodkov A.V. 2005a. Light and electron microscopic investigation of Pelomyxa prima (Gruber, 1884) (Peloflagellatea, Pelobiontida). Tsitologiya, 47: 89–98. (In Russian).

Frolov A.O., Chystjakova L.V. & Goodkov A.V. 2005b. Light and electron-microscopic study of Pelomyxa binucleata (Gruber, 1884) (Peloflagellatea, Pelobiontida). Protistology, 4: 57–73. https://www.zin.ru/journals/protistology/num4_1/frolov.pdf

Frolov A.O., Goodkov A.V., Chystjakova L.V. & Skarlato S.O. 2006. Structure and development of Pelomyxa gruberi sp. n. (Peloflagellatea, Pelobiontida). Protistology, 4: 227–244. https://www.zin.ru/journals/protistology/num4_3/frolov.pdf

Frolov A.O., Chistyakova L.V., Goodkov A.V. & Malysheva M.N. 2007. Morphological study of cysts of Pelomyxa palustris Greeff, 1874. Cell and Tissue Biology, 1(5): 457–466.

Frolov A.O., Chystyakova L.V. & Malysheva M.N. 2011. Light and electron microscopic study of Pelomyxa flava sp. n. (Archamoebae, Pelobiontida). Cell and Tissue Biology, 5(1): 81–89. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990519X1101007X

Goodkov A.V. 1989. Ultrastructure of the giant amoeba Pelomyxa palustris. I. Cytoplasmic microtubules, subcentrioles, and flagella: a comparative morphological analysis of organization. Tsitologiya, 31: 371–379. (In Russian).

Goodkov A.V., Chistyakova L.V., Seravin L.N. & Frolov A.O. 2004. The concept of pelobionts (class Peloflagellatea): brief history and current state. Zoologicheskiy Zhurnal, 83(6): 643–654 (In Russian; English translation: Entomological Review, 2004, 84(Supplement 2): S10–S20).

Gutiérrez G., Chistyakova L.V., Villalobo E., Kostygov A.Yu. & Frolov A.O. 2017. Identification of Pelomyxa palustris endosymbionts. Protist, 168: 408–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protis.2017.06.001

Page F.C. 1970. Mastigamoeba aspera from estuarine tidal pools in Maine. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 89: 197–200.

Ptáčková E., Kostygov A.Yu., Chistyakova L.V., Falteisek L., Frolov A.O., Patterson D.J., Walker G. & Čepička I. 2013. Evolution of Archamoebae: morphological and molecular evidence for pelobionts including Rhizomastix, Entamoeba, Iodamoeba, and Endolimax. Protist, 164: 380–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protis.2012.11.005

Raikov I.B. 1982. The protozoan nucleus. Morphology and evolution. Wien: Springer. 474p.

Treitli S.C., Hanouskova P., Benes V., Brune A., Cepicka I. & Hampl V. 2023. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis is the key process in the obligately syntrophic consortium of the anaerobic ameba Pelomyxa schiedti. The ISME Journal, 17: 1884–1894. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-023-01499-6

Walker G., Zadrobílková E. & Čepička I. 2017. Archamoebae. In: Archibald J., Simpson A. & Slamovits C. (Eds). Handbook of the Protists: 1349–1403. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28149-0_11

Zadrobílková E., Walker G. & Čepička I. 2015. Morphological and molecular evidence support a close relationship between the free-living archamoebae Mastigella and Pelomyxa. Protist, 166: 14–41.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protis.2014.11.003

Volume, Year: