''Podomonas'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

apusomonad The apusomonads (family Apusomonadidae) are a group of protozoan zooflagellates that glide on surfaces, and mostly consume prokaryotes. They are of particular evolutionary interest because they appear to be the sister group to the Opisthokonts ...

s, a group of small

zooflagellate Zooflagellates are single-celled eukaryotes with flagella (i.e., flagellates). They are heterotrophic flagellates, as opposed to phytoflagellates, which are photosynthetic. The term "zooflagellate" is also used to refer to reproductive cells or zo ...

s that glide on their posterior

cilium The cilium (: cilia; ; in Medieval Latin and in anatomy, ''cilium'') is a short hair-like membrane protrusion from many types of eukaryotic cell. (Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea.) The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike pr ...

. The genus was identified in 2010 as an independent lineage from ''

Apusomonas ''Apusomonas'' is a genus of Apusozoa The Apusozoa are a paraphyletic phylum of flagellate eukaryotes. They are usually around 5–20 μm in size, and occur in soils and aquatic habitats, where they feed on bacteria. They are grouped together ...

'' and ''

Amastigomonas ''Amastigomonas'' is a genus of protists belonging to a lineage of biciliated zooflagellates known as Apusomonadida. It was first described in 1931 by Henri de Saedeleer. The current use of ''Amastigomonas'' is as a descriptive archetype, with n ...

'', and consequently were described as their own separate taxon, containing many species previously assigned to ''Amastigomonas''.

Cell structure

''Podomonas'' are ovoid or fusiform apusomonads, not divided into

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a de ...

body and mastigophore. They lack a dense rod associated with the 8-microtubule band, just like '' Thecamonas'' but unlike ''

'' and '' Manchomonas''. The ciliary sleeve is inconspicuous, around 1.5 μm long, seemingly triangular and merging into the ciliary base, pointing

anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

ly or slightly to the left. The anterior

is strongly acronematic, unlike ''Manchomonas'', but has a non-acronematic base extending several

micron The micrometre (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a uni ...

s beyond the sleeve tip. The posterior cilium is acronematic or tapering, with a non-acronematic portion that extends visibly beyond the rear of the cell. The

nucleus Nucleus (: nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucleu ...

is anterior, close to the

centriole In cell biology a centriole is a cylindrical organelle composed mainly of a protein called tubulin. Centrioles are found in most eukaryotic cells, but are not present in conifers ( Pinophyta), flowering plants ( angiosperms) and most fungi, an ...

s. They have finger-like, lamellar or reticulose

pseudopod A pseudopod or pseudopodium (: pseudopods or pseudopodia) is a temporary arm-like projection of a eukaryotic cell membrane that is emerged in the direction of movement. Filled with cytoplasm, pseudopodia primarily consist of actin filaments and ...

s copiously emitted by the left or posterior side of the cell. The

cytoplasm The cytoplasm describes all the material within a eukaryotic or prokaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, including the organelles and excluding the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. The material inside the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell a ...

is highly granular. When cultured in the absence of any other organism, ''Podomonas'' extend a prominent pseudopodium.

Species

There are currently six species of ''Podomonas''. *''Podomonas capensis'' *''Podomonas gigantea'' 'Amastigomonas gigantea'' Mylnikov 1999*''Podomonas griebensis'' 'Amastigomonas griebensis'' Mylnikov 1999*''Podomonas kaiyoae'' *''Podomonas klosteris'' 'Amastigomonas klosteris'' Mylnikov 1999*''Podomonas magna''

References

External links

{{taxonbar, from=Q25369536 Taxa described in 2010 Apusomonadida