Siansivirga zeaxanthinifaciens gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel zeaxanthin-producing member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from coastal seawater of Taiwan.

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2012 May 14;

Authors: Hameed A, Shahina M, Lin SY, Sridhar KR, Young LS, Lee MR, Chen WM, Chou JH, Young CC

Abstract
A strictly aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium (strain CC-SAMT-1(T) ) showing gliding motility was isolated from coastal seawater of China Sea, Taiwan. Strain CC-SAMT-1(T) synthesizes all-trans-zeaxanthin (6.5 ± 0.5 mg g(-1) dry biomass) as a predominant xanthophyll carotenoid. As determined by 16S rRNA gene analysis, strain CC-SAMT-1(T) shared very high sequence similarity to the members of the genera Mariniflexile (96.1-95.3%) and Gaetbulibacter (96.0-95.9%); however, formed a distinct phyletic lineage distantly associated with Mariniflexile species. Polar lipid profile constitutes phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified amino lipids, four unidentified lipids and an unidentified glycolipid. Strain CC-SAMT-1(T) contains excessive unidentified amino lipid (AL2-4) and glycolipid contents, and therefore, clearly distinct from Mariniflexile species. Major fatty acids (>5% of total fatty acids) were iso-C(15:0) (14.8%), iso-C(17:0) 3-OH (11.8%), iso-C(15:1) G (10.6%), anteiso-C(15:0) (9.7%), C(16:0) (8.1%), iso-C(16:0) 3-OH (7.9%), iso-C(15:0) 3-OH (7.5%) and summed feature 3 (containing C(16:1) ω6c and/or C(16:1) ω7c) (7.5%). Menaquinone-6 (MK-6) was major respiratory quinone. DNA G+C content was 33.7 mol%. Based on polyphasic taxonomy, strain CC-SAMT-1(T) represent a novel genus and species in the family Flavobacteriaceae for which the name Siansivirga zeaxanthinifaciens gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-SAMT-1(T) (= BCRC 80315(T) = JCM 17682(T) ). © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

PMID: 22582723 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Pseudocollinia brintoni gen. nov., sp. nov. (Apostomatida: Colliniidae), a parasitoid ciliate infecting the euphausiid Nyctiphanes simplex.

Dis Aquat Organ. 2012 May 15;99(1):57-78

Authors: Gómez-Gutiérrez J, Strüder-Kypke MC, Lynn DH, Shaw TC, Aguilar-Méndez MJ, López-Cortés A, Martínez-Gómez S, Robinson CJ

Abstract
A novel parasitoid ciliate, Pseudocollinia brintoni gen. nov., sp. nov. was discovered infecting the subtropical sac-spawning euphausiid Nyctiphanes simplex off both coasts of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. We used microscopic, and genetic information to describe this species throughout most of its life cycle. Pseudocollinia is distinguished from other Colliniidae genera because it exclusively infects euphausiids, has a polymorphic life cycle, and has a small cone-shaped oral cavity whose left wall has a field of ciliated kinetosomes and whose opening is surrounded on the left and right by 2 'oral' kineties (or ciliary rows) that terminate at its anterior border. Two related species that infect different euphausiid species from higher latitudes in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, Collinia beringensis Capriulo and Small, 1986, briefly redescribed herein, and Collinia oregonensis Gómez-Gutiérrez, Peterson, and Morado, 2006, are transferred to the genus Pseudocollinia. P. brintoni has between 12 and 18 somatic kineties, and its oral cavity has only 2 oral kineties, while P. beringensis comb. nov. has more somatic kineties, including 3 oral kineties. P. oregonensis comb. nov. has an intermediate number of somatic kineties. P. beringensis comb. nov. also infects Thysanoessa raschi (a new host species). SSU rRNA and cox1 gene sequences demonstrated that Pseudocollinia ciliates are apostome ciliates and that P. brintoni is different from P. beringensis comb. nov. High densities of rod-shaped bacteria (1.7 µm length, 0.2 to 0.5 µm diameter) were associated with P. brintoni. After euphausiid rupture, high concentrations of P. brintoni and bacteria cluster to form 3 to 6 cm long filaments where tomites encyst and transform to the phoront stage; this is a novel place for encystation. P. brintoni may complete its life cycle when the euphausiids feed on these filaments.

PMID: 22585303 [PubMed - in process]

This is a guest post by Jim Perkins, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s medical illustration program . Jim explains the most befuddling concepts in graphics and illustration with clarity and ease – he has written for Symbiartic twice before: first, on why it’s a good idea to calibrate your computer monitor and second, on the mysterious settings known as gamma and white point . I’m delighted to be able to post another of his extremely useful explanations, this time on the difference between dots, spots, and pixels.

As a medical illustrator, I m obsessed with terminology. On a daily basis, I deal with hundreds of anatomical terms, most derived from Latin or Greek roots. And I m a stickler for accuracy. As with our own language, changing just one letter can completely alter the meaning of a word, e.g., the prefix myo - (meaning muscle) becomes mylo - (molar) which could become myelo - (referring to either bone marrow or the spinal cord). As my students will attest, I m also a stickler for the arcane plural forms of Latin terms. The plural of ramus communicans is rami communicantes and the singular of phalanges is phalanx . There s no such thing as a phalange.

Enantiornithine nesting colony, reconstruction by Julio Lacerda.