Paramecium tredecaurelia: A Unique Non-Polymorphic Species of the P. aurelia spp. Complex (Oligohymenophorea, Ciliophora)

New stands of Paramecium tredecaurelia, a rare species of the P. aurelia spp. complex, were identified in Thailand and Madagascar on the basis of mating reactions and molecular markers (rDNA and mtDNA). Analysis of DNA fragments showed that all P. tredecaurelia strains, the recently recorded ones and the ones known previously from France, Mexico, and Israel, form a monophyletic and well-defined clade in the P. aurelia species trees. All of these strains, collected from different localities around the world, represent identical or nearly identical haplotypes in terms of all the studied DNA fragments. Given the huge distances between particular collection sites, such a low level of variability of the studied sequences may result from a slow rate of evolution in P. tredecaurelia

Molecular Polymorphism of Paramecium tetraurelia (Ciliophora, Protozoa) in Strains Originating from Different Continents

Abstract: Fragments of LSU rDNA and COI mtDNA genes were sequenced in Paramecium tetraurelia strains originating from different continents, i.e. from Australia (Sydney Europe (Spain. Poland). Asia (Israel, India, Japan) and North America (Indiana) in order to investigate intra-specific polymorphism in this species. Phylogenetic trees (based on analyses using, the NJ, MP and BI methods) revealed that P. tetraurelia strain.,, from Australia. Europe. North America and Asia (Israel, Japan) belong to one group divided into two main clusters, while a strain front India is separate and belongs to a different group. The Indian strain groups together with strains representing different species of the P. aurelia complex: P. septaurelia, P. octaurelia. and P. dodecaurelia. Polymorphism within P. tetraurelia was confirmed, however. it seems that the applied markers did not explain the ways of divergence of strains within Species (Indian strain and others), and also did not show correlations bet..