Euglyphids

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the Euglyphids

Euglypha compressa. Photo by Keiko Kishaba and Dr. Jerry Kudenov.

Classification

Higher order taxa:

Eukaryota; Cercozoa

Species:

Euglypha strigosa, E. compressa, E. patella

NCBI: Taxonomy Genome

Description and Significance

Euglyphida is a monophylitic genus, sharing a lineage with its sister group, sarcomonads. They belong to the group Cercozoa, which was defined by Thomas Cavalier-Smith in 1998. There are roughly 40 known species.

Genome Structure

At present time, there has not been extensive research done on the genome structure of Euglyphids.

Cell Structure and Metabolism

Euglypha filifera. Microscope: Information About Microbes.

Euglyphida are unicellular organisms lacking flagella, cytosomes, and centrioles. They have silica scales; these are shaped like ovals. There are about 150 scales on each organism, making up a test (shell). These scales are formed by surface-excretion. Scales are held together with a sticky secretion called pseudochitin. This test is often transparent, and many are equipped with spines. The organism can retract into this case if it is disturbed or threatened. Euglyphida move and feed with filipodia.

Euglyphida are heterotrophic organisms. They mainly feed on bacteriam, as well as plant detritus.

Euglyphida are asexual organisms. During reproduction, shell plates are constructed in the Gogli bodies, as well as pernicular regions, of the parent cell. They pass along microtubule pathways during the binary fission process. They are positioned in the daughter cell by microtubule and microfilament systems.

Ecology

Euglypha strigosa. Photo by Keiko Kishaba and Dr. Jerry Kudenov.

Euglyphida are mainly freshwater organisms. However, there are also marine species, as well as species that are terrestrial, living on mosses. Because they feed on plant detritus, Euglyphida have an important role in the decomposition process. They can also be found in waste water, feeding off bacteria. Euglyphida can also be found in moist soil, peat, or lake sediments.

Euglyphida can serve as bioindicators for aquatic environments; they can also be used to understand what specific geographic areas were like earlier in the formation of the planet.

References

Babrov, Anatoly A., Andrei A. Andreev, Lutz Schirrmeister, Christine Siegert. "Testate amoebae (Protazoa: Testacealobosea and Testacaefilosea) as bioindicators in the Late Quaternary deposists of the Bykovsky Peninsula, Laptev Sea, Russia." Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 2004;209:165-181.

Cavalier-Smith T, Chao EE. "Phylogeny and classification of phylum Cercozoa (Protozoa)." Protist. 2003 Oct;154(3-4):341-58.

Charman, Dan J. "Testate amoebae and the fossil record: issues in biodiversity." Journal of Biogeography. 1999;26(1):89-96.

Engitech Inc. Environmental Training. Activated Sludge Microorgaisms.

Environmental Leverage.

Foissner W. and Schiller W. "Stable for 15 million years: scanning electron microscope investigation of Miocene euglyphid thecamoebians from Germany, with description of the new genus Scutiglypha." European Journal of Protistology. August 2001;37(2):167-180.

Gomes, Maria Beatriz, Souza Dabés, and Luiz Felipe Machado Velho. "Assemblage of Testate Amoebae (Protozoa, Rhizopoda) associated to aquatic macrophytes stands in a marginal lake of the Sao Francisco river floodplain, Brazil." Maringa. 2001;23(2):291-297.

Hass, Hans. "Organ formation and material components." Hypercell Organisms: A new perspective of man in evolution.

Hedler, R.H. and C.G. Ogden. "Adhesion plaques associated with the production of a daughter cell in Euglypha (Testacea; Potozoa)." Cell and Tissue Research. 1974;153(2):261-268.

Micrographia. The Testate Amoebae.

Microscope: Information About Microbes.

Mitchell, Edward. Testate amoebae.

Wylezich C, Meisterfeld R, Meisterfeld S, Schlegel M. "Phylogenetic analyses of small subunit ribosomal RNA coding regions reveal a monophyletic lineage of euglyphid testate amoebae (Order Euglyphida)." The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology. 2002 Mar-Apr;49(2):108-18.