Molecular phylogeny of Spirotrichonymphea (Parabasalia) with emphasis on Spironympha, Spirotrichonympha, and three new genera Pseudospironympha, Nanospironympha, and Brugerollina.

Spirotrichonymphea, one of the six classes of phylum Parabasalia, are characterized by bearing many flagella in spiral rows, and they occur exclusively in the guts of termites. Phylogenetic relationships among the 13 described genera are not well understood due to complex morphological evolution and a paucity of molecular data. One such understudied genus is Spironympha.

Effect of symbiotic N fixation on leaf protein contents, protein degradation and nitrogen resorption during leaf senescence in temperate deciduous woody species.

Nitrogen (N) resorption from senescing leaves enables plants to reuse N, making them less dependent on current N uptake from the environment, leading to higher fitness, particularly under low N supply. Species that form a symbiotic association with N-fixing bacteria have not evolved proficient N resorption, i.e.

Microbial mutualism promoting the coexistence of competing species: Double-layer model for two competing hosts and one microbial species.

Gause's law of competitive exclusion holds that the coexistence of competing species is extremely unlikely when niches are not differentiated. This law is supported by many mathematical studies, yet the coexistence of competing species is nearly ubiquitous in real ecosystems. We pay attention to the fact that plants and animals usually contact with microbial species as mutualistic partners.

Fine-scale genetic diversity and putative ecotypes of oxymonad protists coinhabiting the hindgut of Reticulitermes speratus.

The hindgut of lower termites is generally coinhabited by multiple morphologically identifiable protist species. However, it is unclear how many protist species truly coexist in this miniaturized environment, and moreover, it is difficult to define the fundamental unit of protist diversity. Species delineation of termite gut protists has therefore been guided without a theory-based concept of species.

Molecular Phylogenetic Position of Microjoenia (Parabasalia: Spirotrichonymphea) from Reticulitermes and Hodotermopsis Termite Hosts.

Microjoenia are obligate symbionts of termites. The genus was erected in 1892 for small cells with many flagella that insert near, but not directly from, the cell apex, and an axostyle that can protrude from the cell posterior. Although ultrastructural studies have been carried out on three Microjoenia species to date, no molecular data have been directly attributed to any species.