The diverse morphogenetic patterns in spirotrichs and philasterids: Researches based on five-year-projects supported by IRCN-BC and NSFC.

In the five years 2012-2016, the ciliate research group at Ocean University of China and their collaborators have performed several investigations on the morphogenesis of ciliated protists during binary division. Multiple samples were collected from 17 cities and cortical development studied in 42 species belonging to 32 genera and 13 families (Amphisiellidae, Euplotidae, Kahliellidae, Oxytrichidae, Philasteridae, Pseudokeronopsidae, Pseudourostylidae, Schmidingerotrichidae, Spirofilidae, Strobilidiidae, Uroleptidae, Uronychiidae and Urostylidae). Among these, 12 genera were investigated morphogenetically for the first time, revealing some unusual pattern formations and allowing four new genera to be established: Heterokeronopsis, Apobakuella, Parabistichella and Apoholosticha. The objective of this review is to: 1) summarize the morphogenetic studies supported by the IRCN-BC and NSFC projects during these five years; 2) summarize the patterns of development and document deviations from normal morphogenetic events within a group; 3) discuss how studies on morphogenesis have helped to advance understanding in the three dimensions of biodiversity, i.e. taxonomy, genetics and function; and 4) suggest potential future directions for the morphogenetic study of ciliated protists.