The total conjugation process of the free-living ciliate Paraurostyla weissei (Ciliophora: Spirotrichea): the unexpected
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The total conjugation process of the free-living ciliate Paraurostyla weissei (Ciliophora: Spirotrichea): the unexpected response to unfavorable fluctuations in the environment Simona Benčaťová 1
&
Darina Arendt 2 & Eva Tirjaková 3
Received: 26 February 2020 / Accepted: 13 October 2020 # Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences 2020
Abstract This study presents a light microscopy observation of the life cycle of the hypotrich ciliate, Paraurostyla weissei. The main aim of this study was to find out the primary reaction of the species P. weissei through the changing environmental conditions. First, the reaction to favorable conditions – asexual binary cell division was observed. The asexual division was a response to the persisting original conditions, which resulted in an overgrowth of cultures. Subsequently, the changes in culture conditions in two groups of watch glasses were tested. The first group of watch glasses was characterised by gradual dehydration, loss of living space and lack of food. Here, the unexpected total conjugation process was identified, and this rare process was characterised as a priority response of the Paraurostyla species to the unfavorable conditions. This is the first reference not to the course of the conjugation process, but to the fact that not only the formation of resting cysts, but also total conjugation can be an important adaptation strategy of the ciliates. Secondly, a gradual decrease in temperature associated with slower drying was tested. The observation result was almost an unchanged state in cultures. Just before the samples completely dried, the cells reacted by cell death. The finding of the inability to stimulate the encystation process of a relatively common hypotrich species was unexpected. Finally, the total conjugation process in the first group of tested cultures was a priority response to altered conditions. The aim was also to point out the plasticity of adaptation mechanisms within the life cycle of P. weissei. Keywords Adaptation . Conditions . Conjugation . Cyst . Division . Encystation . Environment
Introduction A hypotrich ciliate species Paraurostyla weissei (Stein, 1859) Borror, 1972 was the object of numerous researches concerning mainly morphological and ultrastructural characteristics, molecular and phylogenetic analyses, and also biochemistry
* Simona Benčaťová [email protected] 1
National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute for Animal Production, Institute of Apiculture, Doktor J. Gašperíka 599, SK-033 01 Liptovský Hrádok, Slovak Republic
2
Slovak National Museum – Natural History Museum, Vajanského nábrežie 2, SK-810 06 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
3
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, SK-842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
(Heckmann 1965; Jerka-Dziadosz and Frankel 1969; JerkaDziadosz and Janus 1975; Jerka-Dziadosz, 1976, 1977, 1981a, b, 1982a, b; Jerka-Dziadosz and Banaczyk 1983; Wirnsberger et al. 1985; Berger
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