Phylogenetic Relationships among Naked Amoebae Found in Natural Biotopes

Abstract

Using morphological traits and molecular-genetic research methods, the authors have identified 24 species of naked amoeba from natural biotopes. The 18S rRNA gene sequences were obtained for the following species of naked amoeba: Amoeba proteus isolate AP07 (ON907618), Saccamoeba limax isolate SLU_22 (OP894078), Saccamoeba limax isolate SL_Uk19 (OQ520144), Saccamoeba sp. strain IDL777 (MZ079370), Thecamoeba striata isolate THS19 (OQ134482), Thecamoeba striata isolate THS20 (OQ134483), Thecamoeba similis isolate Prut river (OL604177), Thecamoeba similis isolate Baggersee Innsbruck (Baggersee Rossau) (OL604178), Thecamoeba quadrilineata isolate THQD2 (ON398269), Thecamoeba quadrilineata isolate THQA1 (ON398268), Thecamoeba sp. strain THS203 (MZ079371), Stenamoeba stenopodia isolate UKSS7 (OP375108), Stenamoeba stenopodia isolate POLSS7 (OP419588), Korotnevella stella isolate KSD2 (ON398267), Korotnevella stella isolate KSA1 (ON398266), Vexillifera bacillipedes isolate river Dnepr (OK649262), Vannella lata isolate Kamenka river (OL305063), Vannella lata isolate Varta river (OL305064), Vannella sp. strain VLS303 (MZ079372), Vannella simplex isolate Black Sea (OM403052), Vannella simplex isolate Mediterranean Sea (OM403053), Ripella sp. strain RPL100 (MZ079369), Mayorella vespertilioides isolate MV_7 (OP739500), Mayorella sp. isolate MY_7 (OP729930), Acanthamoeba sp. strain ATM123 (MZ079366), Acanthamoeba sp. isolate river Elbe (OK649261), Acanthamoeba polyphaga isolate AcPoly01 (ON908497), Acanthamoeba polyphaga isolate AcPoly15 (ON908496), Acanthamoeba griffini isolate Black sea (OM522832), Acanthamoeba griffini isolate Mediterranean Sea (OM522833), Cochliopodium actinophorum strain COP101 (MZ079367), Cochliopodium minus isolate river Stokhid (OK649264), Cochliopodium sp. strain COP102 (MZ079368), Vahlkampfia avara isolate VA7 (OP179657), Willaertia magna isolate river Teterev (OK649263). All of the naked amoebae species on the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the 18S rRNA gene are located within Amoebozoa and grouped with Tubulinea and Discosea. There are separate groups of freshwater, marine, and terrestrial biotopes; these groups are sister species relative to one another with low results of bootstrap analysis, which shows a low accuracy in the distances of particular amoeba species isolated from different natural biotopes.