Protist diversity and phylogeny

Neuromorpha vorax: a previously unculturable cosmopolitan protist with an unexpectedly complex life-cycle belonging to Glissomonadida Clade-U/Group-TE

This paper isolates and characterizes Neuromorpha vorax, a previously unculturable soil protist, showing it can be cultured on bacteriophage lysate and exhibits a complex life cycle with cannibalistic behaviors.

Genome sequencing confirms cryptic diversity and potentially adaptive changes in gene content of Lepidoptera-infecting Apicomplexa

The paper sequences and annotates the genome of a moth-infecting Apicomplexa parasite, revealing cryptic diversity and potential adaptive gene content changes.

Oxygen as a primary selective pressure for photo-endosymbiosis evolution

This study shows that oxygen production by phototrophic symbionts, rather than carbon supply, may have been a primary selective pressure driving the evolution of photo-endosymbiosis.

Prevalence and environmental abundance of the elusive membrane trafficking complex TSET in five cosmopolitan eukaryotic groups

The paper investigates the prevalence and environmental abundance of the TSET membrane trafficking complex in five eukaryotic groups, showing its presence in photosynthetic organisms and its potential role in marine ecosystems.

A close unicellular relative reveals aggregative multicellularity was key to the evolution of animals

The paper investigates aggregation in a unicellular relative of animals, finding that it uses genes involved in animal multicellularity, suggesting aggregation was key to animal evolution.

Spatial proteomics reveals lipid droplet reorganization in symbiotic Paramecium bursaria cells

The paper uses spatial proteomics to show lipid droplet remodeling in Paramecium bursaria during endosymbiosis, revealing their role in maintaining the symbiotic relationship.

Rhizaria are unexpectedly abundant and exhibit taxonomic and trophic diversity in the eastern subarctic Pacific

The paper reports high Rhizaria abundances in the northern Gulf of Alaska, revealing taxonomic diversity, depth-specific niches, and trophic interactions, challenging the equatorial abundance paradigm.

Diversity and evolution of Radiolaria: Beyond the stars of the ocean

This study assesses the diversity, biogeography, and evolutionary history of Radiolaria using morpho-molecular analyses, revealing significant undescribed diversity and key evolutionary events.

Phylogenetic dissection provides insights into the incongruity in the tree of Archaeplastida between the analyses of nucleus- and plastid-encoded proteins.

The paper investigates discrepancies in the Archaeplastida phylogeny by comparing nucleus- and plastid-encoded protein analyses, identifying sampling artifacts and proposing a working hypothesis.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of ancyromonads provide clues for the gene content and genome structures of ancestral mitochondria.

The paper reports mitochondrial genomes from three Ancyromonadida protists, revealing novel gene features and expanding the known mitochondrial gene repertoire of ancestral eukaryotes.

Dynamic relocalization and divergent expression of a major facilitator carrier subfamily in diatoms

The paper identifies a new MCF subfamily in diatoms, showing diverse localization and potential roles in nitrate assimilation.

A new Paramoeba Isolate from Florida Exhibits a Microtubule-Bound Endosymbiont Closely Associated with the Host Nucleus

This study describes a new Paramoeba species from Florida and highlights the limitations of 18S gene for species delineation, suggesting COI as a better marker.

Convergent pathways of reductive mitochondrial evolution characterised with hypercubic inference

The paper uses hypercubic inference to analyze convergent mitochondrial reduction pathways in eukaryotes, identifying two main evolutionary routes and their metabolic implications.

Single-cell transcriptomics highlights sexual cues among reproductive life stages of uncultivated Acantharia (Radiolaria)

This study uses single-cell transcriptomics to analyze reproductive life stages of Acantharia, identifying genetic evidence for a sexual cycle involving gamete-like swarmers.

Experimental bleaching of photosymbiotic amoeba revealed strain-dependent differences in algal symbiosis ability.

This study bleached photosymbiotic amoebae to investigate strain-dependent differences in algal symbiosis ability.

Subcellular proteomics of Paramecium tetraurelia reveals mosaic localization of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis

This paper uses subcellular proteomics to show that glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes are mosaically localized in Paramecium tetraurelia, with some enzymes in mitochondria and others in the cytosol, suggesting a preference for gluconeogenesis.

Hijacking and Integration of Algal Plastids andMitochondria in a Polar Planktonic Host

The paper tracks plastid and mitochondrial integration in a polar planktonic host over months, showing sustained benefits and highlighting a new strategy in plastid symbiosis.

The fate of artificial transgenes in Acanthamoeba castellanii

This study investigates how A. castellanii handles foreign DNA by analyzing transgene integration and proposing a mechanism involving tandem duplication and telomere addition.

Two Spore Types in a Marine Parasite of Dinoflagellates

This study identifies two spore types in the marine parasite Amoebophrya, revealing sexual and infectious functions, with smaller spores infecting hosts and larger spores undergoing meiosis.

Single-cell phylogenomics identifies major groups of marine eugregarine parasites (Apicomplexa)

The paper uses single-cell transcriptomes to identify five new superfamily-level groups of marine eugregarine parasites, expanding phylogenomic data and classification.

Development of antisense tools to study Bodo saltans and its intracellular symbiont

This study attempts to use antisense inhibition to analyze gene function in an obligate symbiosis but concludes it is not feasible due to holobiont growth in response to antisense treatment.

Innovations in Alginate Catabolism Leading to Heterotrophy and Adaptive Evolution of Diatoms

This paper identifies the genetic basis for alginate catabolism in the non-photosynthetic diatom Nitzschia sing1, showing how horizontal gene transfer and subsequent gene duplication and neofunctionalization enabled adaptation to a heterotrophic lifestyle.

Global Environmental Genomics Reveals Vast Uncultivated Protist Diversity and Taxonomic Blind Spots

The paper analyzes global protist diversity using metagenomes and single-cell genomes, revealing extensive uncultivated and unclassified protist lineages and taxonomic blind spots.

Anaerobic protist survival in microcosms is dependent on microbiome metabolic function.

The paper shows that protist survival in anaerobic microcosms depends on bacterial metabolic capabilities rather than taxonomy, highlighting hydrogen exchange in syntrophic interactions.

The path to dependence: stepwise genome evolution from a facultative symbiont to an endosymbiont in the N2-fixing diatom-Richelia symbioses

This study examines genome evolution in diatom-Richelia symbioses, showing genome reduction and increased host dependency in endobionts compared to periplasmic and epibionts.

A robustly rooted tree of eukaryotes reveals their excavate ancestry.

This study estimates the root of the eukaryote Tree of Life using mitochondrial proteins, finding it between Opimoda+ and Diphoda+ supergroups.

Using network component analysis to study axenisation strategies for phototrophic eukaryotic microalgae

This paper reviews axenisation methods for microalgae, identifies effective workflows without antibiotics, and suggests improved confirmation techniques.

Season-specific responses of freshwater ciliate communities to top-down and bottom-up experimental manipulations

The paper investigates how freshwater ciliate communities respond to top-down and bottom-up manipulations in spring and summer, revealing season-specific trophic interactions and community shifts.

Contractile Vacuole and Papilla drive Cyst/Telotroch transition in Vorticella microstoma

This study identifies the role of contractile vacuole and papilla in driving the cyst-to-telotroch transition in Vorticella microstoma through temporal and spatial patterns.

Chimeric Origins and Dynamic Evolution of Central Carbon Metabolism in Eukaryotes

The paper investigates the evolutionary origins of central carbon metabolism in eukaryotes, revealing a chimeric gene repertoire with contributions from Asgardarchaeota and Alphaproteobacteria.