Morphology, phylogeny and ecology of the aphelids (Aphelidea, Opisthokonta) and proposal for the new superphylum Opisthosporidia

• Main Authors: Sergey eKarpov, Maria A Mamkaeva, Vladimir eAleoshin, Elena eNassonova, Osu eLilje, Frank H Gleason
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-03-01
• Series: Frontiers in Microbiology
• Subjects: Chlorophyta; Parasites; Phytoplankton; Aphelidae; Cryptomycota; Bacillariophyta
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00112/full

The aphelids are a small group of intracellular parasitoids of common species of eukaryotic phytoplankton with three known genera Aphelidium, Amoeboaphelidium, and Pseudaphelidium, and ten valid species, which form along with related environmental sequences a very diverged group. The phyla Microsporidia and Cryptomycota, and the class Aphelidea have recently been considered to be а deep branch of Holomycota lineage forming the so called the ARM-clade which is sister to the fungi. In this review we reorganize the taxonomy of ARM-clade, and establish a new superphylum Opisthosporidia with three phyla: Aphelida phyl. nov., Cryptomycota and Microsporidia. We discuss here all aspects of aphelid investigations: history of our knowledge, life cycle peculiarities, the morphology (including the ultrastructure), molecular phylogeny, ecology, and provide a taxonomic revision of the phylum supplied with a list of species. We compare the aphelids with their nearest relatives, the species of Rozella, and improve the diagnosis of the phylum Cryptomycota.