Cilia and Flagella - Ciliates and Flagellates
Synopsis
Ciliates are a group of protozoans with hair-like organelles (cilia),
which are identical in structure to the flagella of eucaryotes, but
typically shorter and present in much larger numbers with a different
undulating pattern than flagella.
This book presents a contemporary and imaginative synopsis of diverse
biological aspects of cilia/flagella and ciliates/flagellates.
It comprises contributions by a dozen of renowned experts from all over
the world, which summarize our current understanding, essentially the results obtained and progress made during the last five decades of
research of cilia/flagella and the ultrastructure, cell biology,
organellar function, motility, taxonomy/systematics, symbiosis, and biodiversity of ciliates and flagellates.
The book provides various suggestions for future research. It is lavishly
illustrated by numerous line drawings and light- and electron-microscopic
images.
This publication addresses advanced students of biology and zoology, and all scientists teaching and working in cell biology and protistology.
Book Review: Acta Protozoologica, Vol. 53, issue 2
This is a wonderfully eclectic volume that arose out of a meeting that
gathered many of those who managed for a time to place protists at the
very center of cell biology. An unofficial subtitle could be ‚Five
decades of basic research’ with an accent on cell ultrastructure- 50
years of linking form and function. Most of the chapters are a mixture
of review and personal notes from the perspective of an expert with
several decades of experience.
The book is introduced by a chapter, authored by the editors, setting
out the basic characteristics of flagella and flagellates, and cilia
and ciliates. Subsequent chapters are grouped thematically:
Ultrastructure, Cell Biology, Motility, Taxonomy and Systematics,
Symbiosis, biodiversity and finally- Retro and Prospective.
Under Ultrastructure are two chapters. By Gregory Antipa, the chapter
‚Cellular architecture, growth, morphogenesis, chemoattractants, and
loose ends’ re-caps his work with Dindinium prey capture and
ingestion, ciliate cortex ultrastructure and linking ontogeny with
phylogeny in ciliates. The other is „Ejection, ingestion, digestion
and expulsion in ciliates by Klaus Hausmann summarizing his work on
extrusosomes, the ultrastructures of feeding and contractile vacuole
apparati in ciliates.
The section Cell Biology contains a chapter by Helmut Plattner aptly
titled „A song of praise for Paramecium as a model in vesicle
trafficking, A soto voce praise in retrospect with certain
reservation”. The other is „Ciliate mating types and pheromones”,
focusing on the story of Euplotes, authored by Pierangelo Luporini,
Claudio Alimenti, and Adriana Vallesi.
3 chapters are under the heading Motility. „Encounters with cilia” on
the mechanics of ciliary motion is recounted by Michael
Sleigh. Mechano and gravity sensitivity are the topics of Hans
Machemer’s chapter „How do protists keep up?”. Continuing with the
mechanics of ciliary and flagellar motion is a chapter by Sidney Tamm,
„Ctenophores and termites - systems for motility„.
Both ciliates and flagellates are treated in the section Taxonomy and
Systematics. In „Kinetids, concepts, and coincidences” Denis Lynn
tells the story of contemporary ciliate systematics. Øjvind Moestrup’s
chapter „On algal and other protist flagella and cilia” reviews the
history of our understanding of flagella and relationships to cilia.
The Symbiosis section consists of three chapters. Paramecium gets
special attention in the chapter by Masahiro Fujishima and Yuuki
Kodama „New insights into the Paramecium-Holospora and
Paramecium-Chlorella Symbioses” and the chapter by Hans-Dieter Görtz
„Prokaryotic endosymbionts in ciliates”. Flagellates are the focus of
the third chapter by Renate Radek and Jürgen F. H. Strassert
„Symbionts of Symbionts termite flagellates and the bacterial
associations”.
The section Biodiversity is Klaus Hausmann’s chapter „Smallest
protists in the deepest depth- flagellates from the abyssal sea
floors”. The final section Retro and Prospective consists of Jens
Boenigk’s chapter „Five decades of research in protistology - what
have we learned.
Knowing where we have come from is essential to moving forward and
each account tells not only where we came from but how we have gotten
to where we are now. Each of the chapters are well and attractively
illustrated. Overall, the book is very nicely produced and is simply a
pleasure to read. This surprisingly modestly priced volume deserves a
place in your personal library.
John R. Dolan
Acta Protozoologica, Vol. 53, issue 2, page 233
Bespr.: Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau 67. Jg. Heft 6, 2014
Fast jeder Mikroskopiker erliegt schon bei seiner Erstbegegnung mit
eukaryotischen Einzellern deren besonderer Faszination. Immerhin
weisen diese bewundernswerten Lebewesen bereits auf dem
Organisationsniveau einer einzigen Zelle alle basalen Kriterien eines
Lebewesens auf und zeigen überdies eine überraschende typologische
Vielfalt, deren genauere Erkundung leicht zu einer lebenslangen
Aufgabe ausufern kann. Die nahe der „Basislinie“ bzw. dem
„Wurzelhorizont“ der Organismenstammbäume angesiedelten und als solche
ausdrücklich als ursprünglich aufgefassten Protisten sind keineswegs
primitive, sondern geradezu unglaublich differenzierte und komplexe
Lebewesen. Manche von ihnen, darunter beispielsweise die Vertreter
mancher Grünalgen i.w.S. wie die Zieralgen (Desmidien/Zygnemophyceae),
bestechen durch ihre ansprechende Ästhetik, die bereits Ernst Haeckel
(1834 – 1919) zu hinreißenden Darstellungen in seinen berühmten
Kunstformen der Natur (1904) veranlasst haben, aber viele, wie etwa
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii oder Chlorella vulgaris – Standardobjekt
fundamentaler und ergiebiger Forschungsprojekte zu Grundfragen der
Zellbiologie – , sind nach morphologischen Kriterien eher eintönig bis
langweilig. Gänzlich anders stellen sich dagegen die Ciliaten
(Wimpertiere, Ciliophora) oder die heute verschiedenen
Verwandtschaftsgruppen zugeordneten Flagellaten (Geißelträger) dar:
Sie verfügen im zellulären und subzellulären Bereich – von ihren
auffälligen, der Lokomotion dienenden Organellen abgesehen – über
zahlreiche und spezifische Sonderbildungen, die zu Recht schon seit
geraumer Zeit das Interesse intensiver cytologischer Forschung
gefunden haben.
Der hier vorzustellende und jüngst erschienene Band bündelt die
anlässlich eines Symposiums vorgetragenen Beiträge von 17 weltweit
renommierten und aus mehreren Kontinenten stammenden Autoren, die sich
über Jahre und Jahrzehnte eingehend mit besonderen Aspekten der mit
Cilien oder Flagellen ausgestatteten Protisten befasst haben. Die
Beiträge thematisieren zwar auch neuere und sogar neueste Ergebnisse
aus der protistologischen Forschung an Ciliaten und Flagellaten (sowie
wenigen anderen Vertretern), doch wählen die hier versammelten
Einzeldarstellungen originellerweise einen zusätzlichen und im
Unterschied zu sonstigen Tagungsberichten gänzlich anderen
Ausgangspunkt: Die zum Symposium und zur Mitarbeit eingeladenen
Autoren behandeln in ihren Einzeldarstellungen jeweils die nach ihrer
eigenen Wahrnehmung aufregendsten und bedeutendsten Befunde aus ihrer
eigenen Forschung, die zumeist mehrere Jahrzehnte währte. Der
Themenbogen überspannt somit rund fünf Dekaden protistologischer
Detailforschung in höchst unterschiedlichen Bereichen. Die Aufsätze
dieses Bandes summieren sich insofern zu einer beeindruckenden Revue
aufregender Erkenntnisse. Zwischen den Zeilen scheinen aber auch
(wissenschaftshistorisch bemerkenswerte) autobiographische Züge auf,
denn Forschungsprojekte und Erkenntnisfortschritte sind durchweg an
die involvierten Persönlichkeiten gebunden und nicht selten durch
glückliche Konstellationen in ihrem Umfeld geprägt. Die in diesem Band
zusammengeführten Beiträge überzeugen in ihrer thematischen Bandbreite
mindestens ebenso, wie sie oftmals auch das zähe Bemühen der
Forscherpersönlichkeiten spiegeln.
In seiner Einleitung gibt das Herausgeberteam einen konzisen, den
state of the art spiegelnden Überblick über die Feinstruktur und
wichtige funktionelle Aspekte von Cilien und Flagellen sowie ihrer
Träger. Die folgenden 14 Aufsätze thematisieren fallweise jeweils
Allgemein- und fast immer Spezialaspekte zur Ultrastruktur,
Zellbiologie, Bewegung und Taxonomie bzw. Systematik, ferner zu
Protisten-Symbiosen und zur Biodiversität – so die inhaltliche
Gliederung dieses Bandes. Ein 15. Aufsatz fasst die wichtigsten
Erkenntnisforschritte – sozusagen den Thesaurus gesicherten Wissens –
aus fünf Dekaden hochgradig diversifizierter Forschung zusammen. Eine
separate und detaillierte Besprechung aller Einzelbeiträge verbietet
sich hier allerdings aus mancherlei Gründen. Nur soviel sei generell
angemerkt: Sie alle transportieren und dokumentieren interessante und
oft bis in die molekulare Dimension verfolgte Einsichten in die
Biologie dieser schon allein von ihrer Zellarchitektur her aufregenden
Einzeller – von den Signalstoffen zur Zusammenführung kompetenter
Konjugationspartner bis hin zu den prokaryotischen Symbionten in den
Zellkernen mancher Wimpertiere.
Alle Beiträge in diesem Band sind in englischer Sprache verfasst. Wer
über eine gewisse Erfahrung mit englischsprachiger Literatur verfügt,
wird die Texte ohne nennenswerte Verständnisblockaden lesen
können. Die Einzelbeiträge sind opulent mit wundervollen
Bilddokumenten illustriert: Struktur- und Funktionsschemata begleiten
lichtmikroskopische Aufnahme, und diese sind häufig auch als
Kapitelaufmacher und in Farbe eingestreut. Dokumente aus der
Elektronenmikroskopie (SEM und TEM) ergänzen das beeindruckende
Bildangebot. Die gebotenen Informationen darf man vorbehaltlos als
äußerst gediegen und gehaltvoll bewerten. Auch wenn man die
behandelten Objekte aus der eigenen mikroskopischen Beschäftigung
kennt oder zu kennen glaubt, ist man doch ständig überrascht zu
erfahren, bis zu welcher (Er)Kenntnistiefe die Forschung der letzten
Jahrzehnte die Ciliaten und Flagellaten ausgelotet hat.
Die Herausgeber haben mit diesem Band ein überaus respektables Werk
vorgelegt, das unbedingt Anerkennung und Dank verdient. Hervorzuheben
ist auch, dass der Verlag mit dieser Neuerscheinung ein
bemerkenswertes Preis/Leistungsverhältnis umgesetzt hat. Wer sich für
Ciliaten und Flagellaten begeistern kann, wird an diesem
hervorragenden Band seine reine Freude haben. Schon allein deswegen
wird er auch in der Bibliothek des Rezensenten einen besonderen Platz
einnehmen.
Dr. Bruno P. Kremer, Köln
Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau 67. Jg. Heft 6, 2014, Seite 318
Book Review: Protistology 8 (3), 2014
Unicellular eukaryotes, or the protists, represent a distinct life
type organization which is different from the multicellular life. The
world of these single-celled organisms is primarily comprised of
flagellated and ciliated creatures because most protists possess
flagella or cilia at certain stages of their life cycle. In the new
book, Klaus Hausmann, Renate Radek and their 15 coauthors summarize
numerous aspects of cilia/flagella structural and functional
organization and ciliate/flagellate biology. The table of contents of
this volume includes a short Preface and an attractive Introduction,
14 most informative chapters organized in 7 sections (Ultrastructure,
Cell Biology, Motility, Taxonomy and Systematics, Symbiosis,
Biodiversity, Retroand Prospective), Addendum including the curricula
vitae of contributors, scientific humor division and acknowledgements,
and a useful Index.
The Preface recounts that the book considers “an up-to-date summary
describing the state of our understanding of cilia/flagella and
ciliates/flagellates … without biochemical and genetic aspects”.
Nevertheless, modern molecular and genetic data are used extensively,
referred to broadly throughout many chapters, and are skillfully
interwoven with the general contents of the book.
In the Introductory chapter “Cilia and Flagella – Ciliates and
Flagellates”, K. Hausmann and R. Radek provide a clear and
comprehensive interpretation of the universal features of cilia and
flagella, their role in cell motility, and general characteristics of
ciliated and flagellated protists.
The chapter “Cellular Architecture, Growth, Morphogenesis,
Chemoattractants, and Loose Ends” by G.A. Antipa gives the history of
research on the fascinating cytoarchitecture and digestion of
Didinium. Further, there is an excellent account of the
chemoattraction process between Didinium and Paramecium. The chapter
also comprises the synthesis of studies on morphogenetic sequences in
ciliates, including the description of basal body formation and
morphogenesis of the thigmotactic field in Conchophthirus curtus. This
section of the book closes with an important statement that we need a
better mechanism to merge the ideas from molecular and organismic
biology which can cement and explain the evolutionary relationships
more carefully.
The chapter “Ejection, Ingestion, Digestion, and Expulsion in
Ciliates” by K. Hausmann deals with light and electron microscopical
studies of extrusomes, trichocysts and toxicysts, structures which are
involved in food uptake and segregation of ingesta, and contractile
vacuolar complex in ciliates. All those high-quality structural
studies bring us nearer to the understanding of how such important
parts of the ciliate cell operate as extrusive organelles or
contractile vacuoles. The author concludes the chapter with a profound
idea that modern structural studies are still of great necessity for
better understanding of behavior, physiology and biochemistry of
protists.
The chapter “A Song of Praise for Paramecium as a Model in Vesicle
Trafficking – A Sotto Voce Praise in Retrospect with certain
Reservation” by H. Plattner summarizes some of the results on vesicle
trafficking, docking and membrane fusion, exo-endocytosis and calcium
signaling in a Paramecium cell which have opened the door for
exploring numerous fundamental issues of general cell and molecular
biology. The stunning results obtained with the model Paramecium
clearly show that this system still has a future in the forthcoming
investigations.
The chapter “Ciliate Mating Types and Pheromones” by P. Luporini,
C. Alimenti and A. Vallesi starts with the history of our knowledge of
ciliate mating types and ends with a detailed description of various
structures, three-dimensional conformations, gene and multiple amino
acid sequences of pheromones, which play a key role in communication
between individuals of the same species of ciliates during conjugation
and autogamy.
In the chapter “Encounters with Cilia”, M.A. Sleigh presents a
careful and clearly described treatment of cilia/flagella movement in
model protozoan species. This is followed by the assessment of
implications of this knowledge for understanding ciliary metachronism
and propulsion of water and mucus in several unicellular and
multicellular organisms, and finalized by the overview of control of
ciliary activity. I have always been wondering how the universality of
the 9×2+2 pattern of fibrils in both flagella and cilia can harmonize
with their ability to perform quite different modes of dynamics and
beat patterns. This chapter gives, at least in part, the answer to
this crucial question.
The following chapter “How do Protists keep up?” by H. Machemer is
devoted to the indepth analysis of the investigations of ciliates’
mechanosensitivity, motility, gravitaxis and behavior. According to
the results obtained, gravikinesis in protists takes an intermediate
position between classical kinesis and taxis.
The chapter “Ctenophores and Termites – Systems for Motility” by
S.L. Tamm deals with the vast field of studies of structure,
development, regeneration, motility, mechanosensitivity, membrane
movements, electrical conduction and behavior in model organisms of
several so-called simple invertebrates, with special reference to the
intriguing mechanisms that coordinate the beating of fields of cilia
in ctenophores and flagella in termite flagellates.
D.H. Lynn, the author of the chapter “Kinetids, Concepts, and
Coincidence”, clearly shows how the transformative idea on structural
conservatism of the kinetid had led to establishing a new macrosystem
of ciliates which was later supported, to a certain degree, by studies
of molecular phylogenies of these protists. An account of Lynn’s
research career is neatly interspersed with instructive stories about
profitability of “small” and “big” concepts as well as about benefits
and sometimes not easy situations which may arise during the
cooperation and/or competition among different scientific groups.
The chapter “On Algal and other Protist Flagella and Cilia” by
Ø. Moestrup records an impressive history of flagella and cilia
studies from early days of light microscopy to the present days of
modern cell biology. The broad-scale comparative research on these
elaborate structures of locomotion has led the author to a hypothesis
that, in spite of the fact that the first eukaryotic flagellum arose
as a single organelle, the biflagellate condition for the ancestral
eukaryote was probably the most successful in the evolution. The
chapter concludes that, although the flagellum structure and functions
have been modified many times in different groups of unicellular
organisms, the 9×2+2 axoneme and the 9×3 basal body structures remain
strikingly conservative throughout the entire eukaryotic “tree of
life”.
Clarifying patterns of endosymbiosis is a pivotal issue in modern cell
biology of protists. In the chapter “Insights into the
Paramecium-Holospora and Paramecium-Chlorella Symbioses” M. Fujishima
and Y. Kodama present a comprehensive synthesis of the recent studies
on the re-establishment of this phenomenon between Paramecium caudatum
and symbiotic bacteria species Holospora and between P. bursaria and
its cytoplasmic endosymbiont, Chlorella variabilis. The allure of this
chapter is that it allows understanding of how a symbiont invades the
host cell, avoids digestion in the cytoplasm and grows within the host
cell, and what molecular mechanisms underlie these processes.
Another important chapter, “Prokaryotic Endosymbionts in Ciliates”,
written by H.-D. Görtz also discusses the unique structures, life and
infection cycles of intracellular microorganisms in ciliates. Special
attention is paid to the Paramecium species infected with
Holospora-like symbionts. The author correctly states that in the
endosymbiosis studies, ciliates have always been those very organisms
providing most important information on the issue during the last 130
years.
The chapter “Symbionts of Symbionts –Termite Flagellates and their
Bacterial Associations” by R. Radek and J.F.H. Strassert includes an
extensive overview of the symbiosis in protists, with major aspects of
the interactions between prokaryotic microbiota and flagellates
(parabasalids and oxymonads) in the hindgut of lower termites and wood
roach Cryptocercus.
The chapter “Smallest Protists in the Deepest Depths – Flagellates
from Abyssal Sea Floors” deals with the deep-sea protists, in
particular flagellates which were sampled, successfully cultivated and
studied by K. Hausmann and his colleagues. Their findings clearly
challenge the earlier conception of low protistan species richness on
the abyssal sea floor and substantiate a fruitful perspective of
further protistan diversity studies in the deep underwater
environments.
Lastly, J. Boenigk in the Chapter “Five Decades of Research in
Protistology – What have we learned?” takes the reader through the
history of protistological research, in particular during the last 50
years, explaining briefly but clearly the impact of this research on
our understanding of the world of flagellates and ciliates. He states
that studies of unicellular eukaryotes have been strongly influenced
by the historic developments of general biology, other associated
disciplines and innovative technologies which undoubtedly should help
the budding scientists better predict future discoveries in the
remarkable field of Protistology.
Some words should be said on the technical quality of this
edition. The book with its hard cover and attractive format is written
brightly and is easy to follow. It is well illustrated by 233 figures,
including line drawings of consistently high quality, aesthetically
beautiful light- and electron microscopic images, illustrating various
features of protistan biology. All the chapters draw together the
important relevant literature; references are conveniently organized
at the end of each chapter. It was a great pleasure for me to read
this book, and I congratulate the editors, Klaus Hausmann and Renate
Radek, as well as all other 15 contributors for creating an excellent
volume on ciliated and flagellated eukaryotic microorganisms.
I recommend this book without hesitation to all advanced students of
biology, professional scientists who work with and love protists, and
to anyone who wishes to deepen the knowledge and unfold the unique
world of these amazingly graceful and environmentally important
single-celled organisms.
Sergei O. Skarlato
Protistology 8 (3) 2014, p. 25-127
Book Review: Jpn. J. Protozool. Vol. 47, No. 1, 2. (2014)
One more nicely looking and very interesting protistological book saw
the light. In fact this book is a collection of materials presented
and discussed at the relatively small (13 participants) meeting held
under the title “International Wendlandian Symposium: Five Decades of
Basic Research on Cilia/Flagella and Ciliates/Flagellates” in fall
2012, Wendland, Germany. In the case of the book there are 17
contributors. The focus of the Symposium at which these presentations
were made was to reconsider our understanding cilia/flagella and
ciliates/flagellates which developed during the last 50 years. The
point is that majority of contributors have been constantly working in
protistology for more than 45 years, starting as PhD students to
become professors and world-reknown specialists. It means, they
actively participated in the field development during this past period
and somehow the book could be treated also as a fine collection of the
personal stories in science (a history of the modern
protistology). The volume does not cover all aspects of the
discipline, but focuses on ultrastucture, cell biology, motility,
taxonomy and systematics, symbiosis and biodiversity (partly).
In the introduction made by the editors, general characteristics of
the subjects (cilia and flagella; ciliates and flagellates) are
given. The first chapter is dedicated to ultrastructure and is split
into two parts. In the first part, G. Antipa, using Didinium and
Conchophthirus as model objects, presents “Cellular architecture,
growth, morphogenesis and chemoattractions”. In the second one,
K. Hausmann addresses to “Ejection, Ingestion, Digestion, and
Expulsion in Ciliates”, focusing on Paramecium, Homalozoon and
Pseudomicrothorax.
The next chapter “Cell biology” comprises two articles: “A Song of
Praise for Paramecium as a Model in Vesicle Trafficking” (performed by
H. Plattner) and “Ciliate Mating types and Pheromones” (presented by
P. Luporini, C. Alimenti, and A. Vallesi), mostly dealing with
Paramecium, Blepharisma, and Euplotes.
The third chapter “Motility” consists of three articles: “Encounters
with Cilia” (written by M. Sleigh) with Stentor and
Paramecium and several different flagellates, including
Opalina, as model objects; “How do Protists keep up?”
contributed by H. Machemer, a case study of Paramecium and
Stylonychia; and “Ctenophores and Termites – Systems for
Motility” (study by S. Tamm) through the example of several
ctenophorans and some flagellates from the termites
Cryptotermes and Mastotermes.
The fourth chapter “Taxonomy and Systematics” includes two articles:
“Kinetids, Concepts, and Coincidences” presented by D. Lynn and
dedicated to ciliate systematics and phylogeny and “On Algal and other
Protist Flagella and Cilia” provided by Ø. Moestrup and focused on the
exploration of protist flagella.
The “Symbiosis” chapter consists of three articles: “New insights into
the Paramecium-Holospora and Paramecium-Chlorella
Symbioses” by M. Fujishima and Y. Kodama; “Prokaryotic Endosymbionts
in Ciliates” by H.-D. Görtz, mainly covering Paramecium symbionts;
and, finally, “Symbionts of Symbionts – Termite Flagellates and their
Bacterial Associations” contributed by R. Radek and J. Strassert, and
regarding investigation of parabasalids and oxymonads from hindgut of
lower termites.
The sixth chapter “Biodiversity” by K. Hausmann concerns “Smallest
Protists in the Deepest Depths – Flagellates from Abyssal Sea Floors”.
The general retro- and prospective of the studies, presented by
J. Boenigk as a particular final chapter, could emphasize the main aim
of this publication: “Five decades of research in Protistology – what
have we learned?”
A kind of deviation to ciliates studies is striking: of seven chapters
only one is dedicated exclusively to flagellates, but two are entirely
connected with ciliates (in the rest four – material on ciliates is
dominating), not surprisingly, though, as the major part of
contributors are ciliatologists. In some respect the book reminds the
volume “Ciliates. Cells as Organisms” published in 1996. Of course,
the team of authors is quite different and, again, in the present book
each chapter strongly correlates with the author’s sequence of
scientific activities and experience. In Addendum readers can also
find some information concerning the authors and a dozen of humoristic
pictures. Moreover, all chapters usually start with a full page image
(micrograph), connected with the chapter content (made by different
authors) and are well illustrated by micrographs taken from original
articles. All together it makes the text vivid and more attractive for
readers.
There are very few technical mistakes and only one, more logical,
could be mentioned. In fact, including metazoans (Ctenophora) into
protistological book is rather unusual. In any case the title
“Ctenophores and Termites – Systems for Motility” (Contents, chapter
“Motility”, and the head of the article on p. 147) apparently should
be addressed to motility of ctenophorans and protozoans inhabiting
termites!
Personally, I do like aphorisms, formulated at the end of D. Lynn
article (p.187), which could be directed to budding scientists, at the
beginning of their careers: “think big conceptually; think small
organismically; think new technologically and think extreme
environmentally”.
According to the back page comment, the volume is addressed to
advanced students of biology and zoology, and all scientists teaching
and working in cell biology and protistology. Taking into
consideration the reasonable price, I hope, the book can reach all of
its potential readers.
Sergei I. FOKIN
Jpn. J. Protozool. Vol. 47, No. 1, 2. (2014), page 49-50
Book Review: Phycologia 2014 vol. 53 no. 5
What a lovely book! Twenty years ago, being a freshman at the Free
University of Berlin, Germany, I started my studies in biology,
carrying myself to a typical lecture series where all professors
introduced themselves. The one lecture that impressed me the most was
about cilia and flagella – ciliates and flagellates, presented by a
young Professor Klaus Hausmann, coeditor of this book. He showed his
teaching film about cell motility (Hausmann & Gradias 1994), which
shortly thereafter had its official debut at the IX International
Protozoological Congress, Berlin, 1993. Today, 20 years later, I am a
bioinformatician working in the field of phylogenetics, but it has
been this little movie that defined my early career in protozoology
and later phycology. It was this lecture series by Hausmann about
ultrastructure and cell biology that made me visit the Congress, where
I opened my eyes and ears to see and hear renowned experts from around
the world, many of whom are authors of this book.
As it is with Protistology (Hausmann et al. 2003) and other well-known
books about protists that have been written or edited by Hausmann and
his coworkers, this book is beautiful and lavishly illustrated with
numerous line drawings as well as with light- and electron-microscopic
images. There are 233 images on 299 pages.
As promoted by Schweizerbart Science Publishers ‘The book [summarizing
50 years of lab research] provides various suggestions for future
research in ultrastructure, cell biology, organellar function,
motility, taxonomy/systematics, symbiosis, and biodiversity.’ The
little things make a big difference, and this book loves the little
things. There are chapters – just to name a few of them – about
cellular architecture, growth, morphogenesis and chemoattractants,
about ejection, ingestion, digestion, and expulsion, about vesicle
trafficking, mating types and pheromones and about the smallest
protists in the deepest depths. To be more concrete, this book is
organised into eight chapters. Chapter 1, the introduction, by
K. Hausmann and R. Radek, focuses on universal features of cilia and
flagella. The authors discuss the characteristic arrangement of
microtubules (the so-called 932þ2 pattern), the axonemal activity, the
ciliary beat as well as metachronal waves, the infraciliature and
flagellar root structures. Chapter 2, ultrastructure, is subdivided
into two articles, one by A. Antipa and one by K. Hausmann. While
A. Antipa provides an in-depth discussion on the model organisms
Didinium and Paramecium, K. Hausmann reviews his lifelong interest on
extrusomes, especially trichocysts. Chapter 3, cell biology, again is
subdivided. H. Plattner discusses SNARE proteins and calcium signaling
in Paramecium (a model in vesicle trafficking) while P. Luporini,
C. Alimenti and A. Vallesi provide insights into ciliate mating types
and their relevant signaling molecules, pheromones.
Chapter 4, motility, includes three articles. M.A. Sleigh describes
the dynamics of beat patterns and fluid propulsion, H. Machemer mainly
discusses gravikinesis, and S.L. Tamm presents investigations on
ctenophore and termite protozoan motility. Chapter 5, taxonomy and
systematics, includes two articles close to my own expertise. ‘Think
big conceptually. Think small organismically. And think new
technologically.’ D.H. Lynn quotes his colleague Paul Herbert and
discusses Ciliophora phylogenies, genes and genomes, kinetids,
concepts and coincidences; whereas, Ø. Moestrup focuses on algal basal
bodies.
Chapter 6, symbiosis, with three articles, provides insights into
different endosymbioses. M. Fujishima and Y. Kodama describe the
Paramecium-Holospora and the Paramecium- Chlorella
symbiosis. H.-D. G¨ortz discusses prokaryotic endosymbionts in
ciliates, and R. Radek and J.F.H. Strassert deliver a fascinating
story about symbionts of symbionts, about termite flagellates and
their bacterial associations. Chapter 7, biodiversity, by
K. Hausmann, is about deep-sea protozoans summarizing some cruises
aboard the German research vessel METEOR, one of which, I have been a
part of as a student in the Hausmann lab. Dear Prof. Hausmann, thank
you very much! Chapter 8, retro- and prospective, the last chapter by
J. Boenigk, summarises five decades of research in protozoology,
discussing light and electron microscopy, polymerase chain reactions
and high-throughput sequencing, building a bridge between protozoology
and phycology.
This book delves into detail like an observer using a microscope, an
instrument from Leeuwenhoek’s time that has never lost its relevance;
that is, the authors peer deeper and deeper into the topic as one
looks at a cell with progressively higher magnification. As indicated
on the book cover "This book presents a contemporary and imaginative
synopsis of diverse biological aspects of cilia/flagella and
ciliates/flagellates. ... This publication addresses advanced students
of biology, and all scientists teaching and working in cell biology
and protistology."
This book is a great read, and the price is unbeatable. The book is
appropriate for a broad readership, and, being a reader, I just want
to thank all the authors and the editors. All together, they combine
for more than 2000 publications. Cilia and Flagella. Ciliates and
Flagellates. What a lovely book!
Matthias Wolf, University of Würzburg
Phycologia 2014, vol. 53 No. 5, Allen Press Publishing Services
Contents
List of Contributors V
Preface VII
Introduction
Cilia and Flagella – Ciliates and Flagellates
Klaus Hausmann and Renate Radek 3
Ultrastructure
Cellular Architecture, Growth, Morphogenesis, Chemoattractants, and Loose Ends
Gregory A. Antipa 23
Ejection, Ingestion, Digestion, and Expulsion in Ciliates
Klaus Hausmann 47
Cell Biology
A Song of Praise for Paramecium as a Model in Vesicle Trafficking
A Sotto Voce Praise in Retrospect with Certain Reservation
Helmut Plattner 69
Ciliate Mating Types and Pheromones
Pierangelo Luporini, Claudio Alimenti, and Adriana Vallesi 95
Motility
Encounters with Cilia
Michael A. Sleigh 121
How do Protists keep up?
Hans Machemer 133
Ctenophores and Termites – Systems for Motility
Sidney L. Tamm 147
Taxonomy and Systematics
Kinetids, Concepts, and Coincidences
Denis H. Lynn 175
On Algal and other Protist Flagella and Cilia
Øjvind Moestrup 189
Symbiosis
Insights into the Paramecium-Holospora and Paramecium-Chlorella Symbioses
Masahiro Fujishima and Yuuki Kodama 203
Prokaryotic Endosymbionts in Ciliates
Hans-Dieter Görtz 229
Symbionts of Symbionts – Termite Flagellates and their Bacterial Associations
Renate Radek and Jürgen F. H. Strassert 239
Biodiversity
Smallest Protists in the Deepest Depths – Flagellates from Abyssal Sea Floors
Klaus Hausmann 255
Retro- and Prospective
Five Decades of Research in Protistology – What have We learned?
Jens Boenigk 267
Addendum
Curricula Vitae of Contributors 277
Humor 287
Acknowledgements 290
Index 291