Morphogenesis and Molecular Phylogeny of a Soil Ciliate Uroleptoides longiseries (Foissner, Agatha and Berger, 2002) Berger 2008 (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia)

Morphogenesis of the hypotrich ciliate Uroleptoides longiseries, isolated from sandy soil beside the Yellow River, Suide, Yulin, Shaanxi Province, China, was investigated using protargol staining. The main events during binary fission are as follows: (1) the long frontoventral row is formed by a single anlage; (2) five frontoventral‐transverse cirral anlagen are formed in primary mode; (3) only the posterior part of the parental adoral zone of the membranelles is renewed; and (4) the oral primordium of the opisthe is formed intrakinetally. This is the first detailed record of all stages of morphogenesis for Uroleptoides. We also provide the first record of the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences for U. longiseries. Phylogenetic analyses based on the SSU rDNA sequences data show that Uroleptoides longiseries clusters with U. magnigranulosa with moderate to high support which together form a clade with Orthoamphisiella breviseries. These three species share the morphogenetic feature of the long frontoventral row being formed by a single anlage.