Protists

Chapter 29

Protists
Protists are the most diverse of the four eukaryotic kingdoms -Unicellular, colonial and multicellular groups The kingdom Protista is paraphyletic and grouped for convenience The 15 major protist phyla are grouped into seven major monophyletic groups -However, 60 lineages cannot be placed with confidence 2

Protists

Protists (Cont.)

Eukaryotic Origins
Eukaryotic cells differ from prokaryotes by the presence of a cytoskeleton and organelles Appearance of eukaryotes in microfossils occurred about 1.5 BYA

Eukaryotic Origins
The nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum arose from infoldings of prokaryotic cell membrane

Eukaryotic Origins
Many organelles evolved via endosymbiosis between an ancestral eukaryote and a bacterial cell -Mitochondria Aerobic bacteria Organisms that host chloroplasts are not monophyletic -Red and green algae engulfed cyanobacteria -Brown algae engulfed red algae -Secondary endosymbiosis 7

Eukaryotic Origins
Over time, most organellar genes moved into the nucleus -Therefore, these organelles cannot be grown in pure culture Mitosis and cytokinesis did not evolve in eukaryotes all at once -Intermediate mechanisms survive today -Fungal nuclear membranes do not dissolve
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General Biology of the Protists

Cell surface -Plasma membrane -Extracellular material (ECM), in some -Diatoms Silica shells Cysts -Dormant cell with resistant outer covering -Used for disease transmission
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General Biology of the Protists

Locomotion -Flagella -Cilia -Pseudopodia (false feet) -Lobopods Large, blunt -Filopods Thin, branching -Axopods Thin, long
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General Biology of the Protists

Nutrition -Phototrophs -Heterotrophs -Phagotrophs Particulate food matter -Osmotrophs Soluble food matter -Mixotrophs are both phototrophic and heterotrophic
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General Biology of the Protists

Asexual reproduction -Typical mode of reproduction -Some species have an unusual mitosis -Binary fission = Equal cells -Budding = Progeny cell smaller -Schizogony = Multiple fission Sexual reproduction -Union of haploid gametes which are produced by meiosis

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Diplomonads and Parabasalids

Are closely related to the early, now extinct eukaryotic cell -Flagellated -Lack mitochondria -May have lost their mitochondria, rather than never acquired them
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Diplomonads and Parabasalids

Diplomonads -Have two nuclei -Giardia intestinalis Parabasalids -Have undulating membranes -Trichomonas vaginalis
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Euglenozoa
Euglenoids were among the earliest eukaryotes to possess mitochondria -1/3rd have chloroplasts

-All have a flexible pellicle -None have sexual reproduction

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Euglenozoa
Euglena -Two anterior (and unequal) flagella -Contractile vacuoles Collect excess water -Stigma Movement towards light -Numerous small chloroplasts -The concept of a single Euglena genus is now being debated
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Euglenozoa

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Euglenozoa
Kinetoplastids -Unique, single mitochondrion with DNA maxicircles and minicircles (RNA editing) -Trypanosomes cause human diseases -African sleeping sickness Tsetse fly -Leishmaniasis Sand fly -Difficult to control because organisms repeatedly change their protective coat
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Euglenozoa

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Alveolata
Alveolata have flattened vesicles called alveoli -These function like Golgi bodies below the cell membrane

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Alveolata
Dinoflagellates -Unicellular with two unequal flagella -Live in aquatic environments

-Most are photosynthetic -Do not appear to be directly related to any other phylum

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Alveolata
Dinoflagellates -Reproduction is primarily asexual -DNA is not complexed with histones -About 20 species produce powerful toxins that harm vertebrates -Blooms are responsible for red tide
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Alveolata
Apicomplexans -Spore-forming animal parasites -Apical complex is a unique arrangement of organelles at one end of the cell -Enables the cell to invade its host

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Alveolata
Plasmodium -An apicomplexan that causes malaria -Eradication of malaria 1. Elimination of mosquito vectors 2. Development of drugs 3. Development of vaccines -Organism has a very complex life cycle
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Alveolata
Other apicomplexans -Gregarines -Found in the intestines of arthropods, annelids and mollusks -Toxoplasma gondii -Causes infections in humans with immunosuppression

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Alveolata
Ciliates -Feature large numbers of cilia arranged in longtitudinal rows or spirals around the cell -Have two types of vacuoles -Food vacuoles = Digestion of food -Contractile vacuoles = Regulation of water balance
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Alveolata
Ciliates -Have two types of nuclei -Macronucleus = Divides by mitosis -Responsible for physiological functions -Micronucleus = Divides by meiosis -Involved in conjugation -Fusion of two cells of different mating types
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Stramenopila
Stramenopiles have very fine hairs on their flagella -A few species have lost their hairs during evolution

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Stramenopila
Brown algae -Kelps -Grow in relatively shallow waters throughout the world -Life cycle involves alternation of generations

-Sporophyte = Multicellular and diploid -Gametophyte = Multicellular and haploid

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Stramenopila
Diatoms (Phylum Chrysophyta) -Unicellular organisms

-Have unique double shells made of silica

-Some move using raphes -Two long grooves lined with vibrating fibrils
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Stramenopila

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Stramenopila
Oomycetes (water molds) -Were once considered fungi -Motile zoospores with two unequal flagella -Undergo sexual reproduction -Either parasites or saprobes -Phytophthora infestans -Irish potato famine (1845-1847)
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Rhodophyta
Rhodophyta, or red algae, range from microscopic to very large sizes -Lack flagella and centrioles -Have accessory photosynthetic pigments within phycobilisomes -Origin has been a source of controversy -Tentatively, treated as a sister clade of Chlorophyta (green algae)
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Rhodophyta

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Choanoflagellida
Choanoflagellates are most like the common ancestor of all animals -Single emergent flagellum, surrounded by funnel-shaped contractile collar -Use collar to feed on bacteria

-Have a surface tyrosine kinase receptor found in sponges

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Choanoflagellida

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Protists Without a Clade

Amoebas are paraphyletic -Rhizopoda (True amoebas) -Move by means of cytoplasmic projections called pseudopods -Actinopoda (Radiolarians) -Glassy exoskeletons made of silica -Needlelike pseudopods
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Protists Without a Clade

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Protists Without a Clade

Foraminifera are heterotrophic marine protists -Have pore-studded shells called tests, through which thin podia emerge -Use podia for swimming and feeding -Have complex life cycles with haploid and diploid generations -Limestones are rich in forams -White cliffs of Dover
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Protists Without a Clade

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Protists Without a Clade

Slime molds -Were once considered fungi

-Include two lineages 1. Plasmodial slime molds 2. Cellular slime molds

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Protists Without a Clade

1. Plasmodial slime molds -Stream along as a plasmodium, a nonwalled, multinucleate mass of cytoplasm -Ingests bacteria and other organic material

-When food or moisture is scarce, organism forms sporangia, where spores are produced
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Protists Without a Clade

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Protists Without a Clade

2. Cellular slime molds -Individual organisms behave as separate amoebas -Move through soil ingesting bacteria -When food is scarce, organisms aggregate to form a slug -Slug differentiates into a sorocarp
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Protists Without a Clade

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