Description of an Enigmatic Alveolate, Platyproteum noduliferae n. sp., and Reconstruction of its Flagellar Apparatus

Abstract

Platyproteum is an enigmatic, monotypic genus formerly assigned to the Apicomplexa, until a recent phylogenomic study demonstrated that it diverged from the base of the chromerid/colpodellid (chrompodellid) taxa and apicomplexan clade. In the present study, a new species, P. noduliferae n. sp., is described using a combination of morphological and molecular data. Moreover, a reconstruction of the flagellar apparatus is presented to characterize the presence of flagella which was, until this study, an unknown trait for this genus. Phylogenetic analyses using rDNA sequences suggested that P. noduliferae n. sp. is a sister species of P. vivax, diverging from the base of chrompodellids and apicomplexans. This study provides new morphological data that corroborates the position of Platyproteum amongst other biflagellate species, contributing to an improved understanding of Platyproteum and the evolutionary changes undergone by some marine alveolates as they transitioned into obligate parasitic life styles.