Int Microbiol. 2014 Mar;17(1):31-40. doi: 10.2436/20.1501.01.205.
This study, based within the catchment area of the River Frome, an important chalk stream in the south of England, compared ciliated protozoan communities associated with three species of aquatic macrophyte common to lotic habitats: Ranunculus penicillatus subsp. pseudofluitans, Nasturtium officinale and Sparganium emersum. A total of 77 ciliate species were counted. No species-specific ciliate assemblage was found to be typical of any one plant species. Ciliate abundance between plant species was determined to be significantly different. The ciliate communities from each plant species were unique in that the number of species increased with ciliate abundance. The community associated with R. penicillatus subsp. pseudofluitans showed the highest consistency and species richness whereas S. emersum ciliate communities were unstable. Most notably, N. officinale was associated with low ciliate abundances and an apparent reduction in biofilm formation, discussed herein in relation to the plant's production of the microbial toxin phenethyl isothiocyanate. We propose that the results reflect differences in the quantity and quality of biofilm present on the plants, which could be determined by the different plant morphologies, patterns of plant decay and herbivore defense systems, all of which suppress or promote the various conditions for biofilm growth.
本研究以英格兰南部重要的白垩溪流弗罗姆河（River Frome）的集水区为基础，比较了与三种常见于急流生境的水生大型植物相关的纤毛原生动物群落：毛茛（Ranunculus penicillatus subsp. pseudofluitans）、豆瓣菜（Nasturtium officinale）和水雍菜（Sparganium emersum）。共计数了 77 种纤毛物种。没有发现任何特定物种的纤毛组合是任何一种植物特有的。植物物种之间的纤毛丰度被确定为显著不同。来自每种植物的纤毛群落都是独特的，因为物种数量随着纤毛丰度的增加而增加。与毛茛（Ranunculus penicillatus subsp. pseudofluitans）相关的群落表现出最高的一致性和物种丰富度，而水雍菜（Sparganium emersum）的纤毛群落则不稳定。值得注意的是，豆瓣菜（Nasturtium officinale）与低纤毛丰度和生物膜形成明显减少有关，本文讨论了这与植物产生微生物毒素苯乙基异硫氰酸酯有关。我们提出，这些结果反映了植物上存在的生物膜数量和质量的差异，这可能是由不同的植物形态、植物腐烂模式和食草动物防御系统决定的，所有这些都抑制或促进了生物膜生长的各种条件。
