Phylogenetic Relationships of the Genus Paramecium Inferred from Small Subunit rRNA Gene Sequences

The genus Paramecium includes species that are well known and very common in freshwater environments. Species of Paramecium are morphologically divided into two distinct groups: the “bursaria” subgroup (foot-shaped) and the “aurelia” subgroup (cigar-shaped). Their placement within the class Oligohym...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 2000-01, Vol.14 (1), p.122-130
Main Authors: Strüder-Kypke, Michaela C, Wright, André-Denis G, Fokin, Sergei I, Lynn, Denis H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Ciliophora
Ciliophora - genetics
Likelihood Functions
Models, Genetic
Oligohymenophorea
Oligohymenophorea - genetics
Paramecium
Paramecium - classification
Paramecium - genetics
Peniculia
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal - genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA
small subunit rRNA gene sequences
taxonomy
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The genus Paramecium includes species that are well known and very common in freshwater environments. Species of Paramecium are morphologically divided into two distinct groups: the “bursaria” subgroup (foot-shaped) and the “aurelia” subgroup (cigar-shaped). Their placement within the class Oligohymenophorea has been supported by the analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene sequence of P. tetraurelia. To confirm the stability of this placement and to resolve relationships within the genus, small subunit rRNA gene sequences of P. bursaria, P. calkinsi, P. duboscqui, P. jenningsi, P. nephridiatum, P. primaurelia, and P. polycaryum were determined and aligned. Trees constructed using distance-matrix, maximum-likelihood, and maximum-parsimony methods all depicted the genus as a monophyletic group, clustering with the other oligohymenophorean taxa. Within the Paramecium clade, P. bursaria branches basal to the other species, although the remaining species of the morphologically defined “bursaria” subgroup do not group with P. bursaria, nor do they form a monophyletic subgroup. However, the species of the “aurelia” subgroup are closely related and strongly supported as a monophyletic group.
ISSN:1055-7903
1095-9513
DOI:10.1006/mpev.1999.0686