Notizen: Three strains of Hypotrichomonas acosta were isolated in axenic culture. Attempts to develop a defined medium directly from a defined medium suitable for Tetrahymena pyriformis were unsuccessful. Development of partly defined media by substitution for undefined materials in Diamond's medium were more successful. Horse serum was replaced by 1 mg. % TEM-4T (a diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglycerides from tallow) and 0.5 mg.% cholesterol. Yeast extract was replaced by a mixture of ribonucleotides. Inclusion of several additional components permitted reducing the Trypticase concentration from 2% to 0.25%.

Notizen: Hypotrichomonas gen nov., with a feeble undulating membrane but lacking a costa, is placed in the family Monocercomonadidae Kirby of the order Trichomonadida Kirby. H. acosta (Moskowitz) from squamate reptiles is designated as the type species. It has 3 unequal anterior flagella. The proximal part of its recurrent flagellum is attached to the surface of the body along an accessory filament. A low membrane with typically a few undulations extends between the accessory filament and the body surface. The membrane, which varies greatly in length in relation to the length of the body among strains of the species, is not supported by a costa. The recurrent flagellum continues as a free posterior flagellum beyond the end of the undulating membrane and terminates in an acroneme. The capitulum of the axostyle, spatulate or scoop-shaped, is closely applied to the anteriorly located nucleus. The capitulum extends anteriorly into a crescent-shaped pelta. The relatively stout trunk of the axostyle is straight or twisted. It projects for some distance from the posterior body surface, and the terminal segment of the projecting part tapers gradually to a point. The parabasal apparatus consists of a rod- or shaped body and of a filament or filaments.In division, the full complement of flagella in each of the mastigonts is restored relatively late during division but before cytokinesis. One of the daughter individuals retains the parental undulating membrane; the other develops a new organelle. The development of the new membrane is first marked by the appearance of an acroneme, presumably recurrent flagellum, early in division. The proximal part of this flagellum becomes progressively attached to the body surface. The process of attachment is paralleled by differentiation of the accessory filament and is followed by the appearance of the undulating membrane. The parental axostyle is resorbed during division, and each daughter individual develops this organelle de wove. In the very early stages of division the parabasal consisted of two arms and in all more advanced stages of a single rod-shaped body applied to a single filament.The significance of Hypotrichonionas in the evolution of trichomonads is discussed. Its morphology and morphogenesis suggest that this genus may represent an important step in the evolution of Trichomonadidae from Monocercomonadidae.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. Several trichomonads from poikilotherms (Hypotrichomonas acosta, Monocercomonas colubrorum and M. sp., Trichomonas batrachorum, and Tritrichomonas augusta) grew in a nearly-defined medium to a level of 10–40% that permitted with media containing casein digests; T. augusta (4 strains) grew best. The defined medium contained TEM-4T (a semisynthetic fat based on beef-tallow fatty acids) and ascorbyl “palmitate” as sources of fatty acids. Besides ascorbyl palmitate, thiomalic and ascorbic acids, and tocopherol served as reducers and antiöxidants. High concentrations of nucleotides (adenylic, cytidylic, guanylic, and uridylic acids) seemed necessary. Indigo carmine was a useful redox indicator; the flagellates never grew in the oxidized zone. Extra trace elements and amino acids or rich natural media permitted better growth at about 34.5°C—the upper temperature limit for these trichomonads, raising the issue of a biochemical basis of a thermal barrier to the invasion of warmblooded hosts. Except for the limited carbohydrate in the nucleotides, carbohydrate could be omitted, the main substrates being a combination of glycerol, acetate, and gylcero-phosphate, posing the question of the identity of the anaerobic, presumably non-glycolytic, energy-yielding pathway.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. Tracer technic has proved to be an excellent tool in the study of predator-prey relationships among the foraminifera. More than fifty axenic species of protists including diatoms, dinoflagellates, chlorophytes, chrysophytes, cyanophytes, bacteria and yeasts were tested as potential food for Allogromia sp (NF), A. laticollaris, Am. monia beccarii, Quinqueloculina spp, Rosalina floridana, Anomalina sp, Elphidium sp, Spiroloculina hyalina, Globigerina bulloides, and Globorotalia truncatulinoides. Although many types of potential food are present in the environment, foraminifera select only certain organisms. The yeasts, cyanophytes, dinoflagellates, chrysophytes and most bacteria tested were not eaten. Selected species of diatoms, chlorophytes and bacteria were eaten in large quantity. Three additional factors affect feeding: the “age” of the food organism, the “age” of the foraminifer or its position in the life cycle, and the concentration of the food. Feeding by foraminifera on most food is erratic below a concentration of 103 organisms and is approximately directly proportional to concentration within a range of 103-106 organisms per 10 ml experimental tube. A natural bloom of Protelphidium tisburyensis was analyzed. A high concentration of 6 species of diatoms characterized the community. A “bloom”-feeder hypothesis for foraminiferal nutrition is presented.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. Two new dinoflagellates, isolated from Long Island Sound and maintained axenically, are described. Gyrodinium instriatum n. sp. changes shape and size as cultures age. Glenodinium halli n. sp. is a delicately-armored form whose plate structure differs slightly from the present diagnosis of the genus, but not sufficiently like any other genus in morphology or life history for inclusion elsewhere. In G. halli the size of the motile form and predominance of motile or vegetative stages are nutrient dependent. Both dinoflagellates illustrate the need for morphological descriptions based upon continuous culture methods in defined media.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. Peranema trichophorum remained vigorous at least a year in milk-lecithin media and 3 months in a nearly defined autoclavable biphasic agar medium fortified with the fat-soluble antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene. The only undefined substance in the present “defined” medium is crude soybean lecithin; 0.001% lecithin suffices in the presence of a mixture of long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid may be indispensable. Histidine is an absolute requirement as well as a favored substrate. Cholesterol, not ergosterol, satisfied the sterol requirement. Voracity is retained in these media as shown by engorgement on plastic latex particles.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. A polymorphic allogromiid (our strain NF) was isolated in monoxenic culture but attempts at its axenic culture failed. Growth of monoxenic cultures was stimulated by various metals and vitamins. The morphology and life cycle of this allogromiid with a prominent collar have been studied in detail. It varied in form from ovoid to elongate bioral “Shepheardella-like” forms and to irregular polyoral organisms. The organisms ranged in length from 56–385 μ (118 μ± 50.54) and in width from 35–385 μ (99 μ± 39.34). The number of nuclei per organism averaged 8.9 ± 6.3 (range 1–40). Reproduction of “Shepheardella-like” forms was by binary fission. Three types of budding have been observed and, rarely, schizogony. No evidence for sexual reproduction has thus far been seen.

Notizen: Various methodological approaches are being used to characterize Symbiodinium spp isolated from Marginopora vertebralis and Amphisorus hemprichii and Amphisorus sp. from the Indo-pacific. While most of the cells in culture are non-motile vegetative cells, dinospores occur in batch cultures. We find consistant variance among the isolates in the duration and time of appearance of motile forms. Nitrate (0.146 mM) supports higher populations of the isolates than NH4 (0.146 mM). Higher concentrations of NH4 inhibit growth. Although Fensome et al. (1993) characterized the Order Suessiales (and Family Symbiodiniaceae) as gymnnodiniphycideans in which the amphiesmal vesicals are arranged in 7–10 longitudinal series we were unable to detect any plates on the surfaces of our isolates in the SEM. We were unsuccessful in revealing plates on non-motile forms by freeze fracture but they were present after treatment with various chemical agents (e.g. H2O2, HOCl−) and enzymes (cellulase, chitinase). They are not polygonal or arranged in the patterns anticipated for the Symbiodiniaceae. Polyclonal antibody studies of the Symbiodinium-like isolates are in agreement with molecular systematic studies in the sense that there is a common relation. The foram endosymbiotic dinoflagellates share some common surface antigens with each other and with the few invertebrate isolates we have tested. Studies of the foraminiferal symbionts' plastids revealed considerable morphological diversity. We isolated a diversity of endosymbionts from the mantle of Tridacna maxima from the Red Sea and the Marshall Islands. These included Symbiodinium, Amphidinium, Tetraselmis, and an unidentified chlorophyte.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. Bacteria were required for the sustained reproduction of 4 species of foraminifera in gnotobiotic culture. None of the species of algae tested, singly or in combination, supported continuous reproduction of the foraminifera in bacteria-free gnotobiotic culture. It is inferred that bacteria have some nutritional factor required by the foraminifera that is either unavailable or unavailable in sufficient quantity in an exclusively algal diet.Gnotobiotic clones of Quinqueloculina lata, Spiroloculina hyalina, Rosalina leei, and Allogromia laticollaris were established on bacteria + algae (usually 1 or 2 species). In balanced gnotobiotic cultures neither light nor foraminiferan density (organisms/ml) were limiting. As cultures aged, pH shifted and limited growth. When waste products were removed by washing, reproductive rates were higher.

Notizen: SYNOPSIS. The growth and reproduction of Allogromia laticollaris was studied. More schizozoites were generally produced in mixtures of food organisms than on single algal foods. In the presence of moderate numbers of bacteria, cultures with Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Chlorococcum sp., Nannochloris sp., and an unidentified chlorophyte (BL-1), added singly, were also highly productive. Schizogony was the dominant asexual form of reproduction. Binary fission and cytotomy also occurred in bacterized otherwise unfed controls. 35S and 32P are convenient labels for measuring growth of A. laticollaris when introduced into the system in the range of 1 × 104 - 1 × 105 dpm/ml (32P specific activity ∼ 2.03 MCi/g; 35S specific activity ∼ 95 μCi/g). Small allogromiids grew faster than did larger ones. By means of the Taylor series modification of the classical least-squares method, a continuous life-cycle representation was calculated for A. laticollaris for the conditions of the experiment. Four points of cell volume growth were maxima for reproduction: 1.0 × 107μ per organism for curve I; 2.2 × 107μ3 and 1.2 × 107μ3 for curve II; and 6.7 × 107μ3 for curve III.