Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.
Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.
Microb Ecol. 2022 Aug;84(2):594-602. doi: 10.1007/s00248-021-01864-y. Epub 2021 Sep 15.
Paramecium spp. are a genus of free-living protists that live mainly in freshwater environments. They are ciliates with high motility and phagocytosis and have been used to analyze cell motility and as a host model for pathogens. Besides such biological characteristics, apart from the usual morphological and genetic classification of species, the existence of taxonomies (such as syngens) and mating types related to Paramecium's unique reproduction is known. In this study, we attempted to develop a simple method to identify Paramecium strains, which are difficult to distinguish morphologically, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Consequently, we can observe strain-specific band patterns. We also confirm that the presence of endosymbiotic Chlorella cells affects the band pattern of P. bursaria. Furthermore, the results of the RAPD analysis using several P. caudatum strains with different syngens show that it is possible to detect a band specific to a certain syngen. By improving the reaction conditions and random primers, based on the results of this study, RAPD analysis can be applied to the identification of Paramecium strains and their syngen confirmation tests.
草履虫是一种自由生活的原生动物属，主要生活在淡水环境中。它们是运动能力强且具有吞噬作用的纤毛虫，已被用于分析细胞运动，并作为病原体的宿主模型。除了这些生物学特性外，除了通常的形态学和遗传学物种分类外，还已知与草履虫独特繁殖有关的分类群（如同宗）和交配型的存在。在这项研究中，我们试图使用随机扩增多态性 DNA（RAPD）分析开发一种简单的方法来鉴定形态上难以区分的草履虫株。因此，我们可以观察到菌株特异性的条带模式。我们还证实内共生的绿藻细胞的存在会影响 P. bursaria 的条带模式。此外，使用几种具有不同同宗的 P. caudatum 菌株进行的 RAPD 分析结果表明，可以检测到特定同宗的特定条带。通过改进反应条件和随机引物，基于本研究的结果，RAPD 分析可应用于草履虫株的鉴定及其同宗确认测试。
