Characterization and Taxonomic Validity of the Ciliate Oxytricha trifallax (Class Spirotrichea) Based on Multiple Gene Sequences: Limitations in Identifying Genera Solely by Morphology

Abstract

Oxytricha trifallax — an established model organism for studying genome rearrangements, chromosome structure, scrambled genes, RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance, and other phenomena — has been the subject of a nomenclature controversy for several years. Originally isolated as a sibling species of O. fallax, O. trifallax was reclassified in 1999 as Sterkiella histriomuscorum, a previously identified species, based on morphological similarity. The proper identification of O. trifallax is crucial to resolve in order to prevent confusion in both the comparative genomics and the general scientific communities. We analyzed nine conserved nuclear gene sequences between the two given species and several related ciliates. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that O. trifallax and a bona fide S. histriomuscorum have accumulated significant evolutionary divergence from each other relative to other ciliates such that they should be unequivocally classified as separate species. We also describe the original isolation of O. trifallax, including its comparison to O. fallax, and we provide criteria to identify future isolates of O. trifallax.