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Protistology 8 (3), 125-127 (2014)
Protistology
BOOK REVIEW
Hausmann K., Radek R. (Eds.)
CILIA AND FLAGELLA - CILIATES AND FLAGELLATES.
Ultrastructure and cell biology, function and systematics, symbiosis and biodiversity. Schweizerbart Science Publishers, Stuttgart, 2014. 299 p. Price: 39.80 Euro (hard-cover, ISBN 978-3-510-65287-7). The Book can be ordered at http://www.schweizerbart. de/9783510652877
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, Retro-and 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 ofthe 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 ofbehavior, 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
© 2014 The Author(s)
Protistology © 2014 Protozoological Society Affiliated with RAS
126 • Sergei Skarlato
that this system still has a future in the forthcoming investigations.
The chapter “Ciliate Mating Types and Phero-mones” 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 ofvarious 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 ofthe 9x2+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’ mechano-sensitivity, 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 offields 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 ofthe kinetid had led to establishing a new macrosystem of ciliates which was later supported, to a certain degree, by studies ofmolecular phylogenies ofthese 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 0. Moestrup records an impressive history offlagella 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 9x2+2 axoneme and the 9X3 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 ofprotists. 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 Endo-symbionts in Ciliates”, written by H.-D. Gortz 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 ofSymbionts —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 oxymo-nads) 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
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of low protistan species richness on the abyssal sea floor and substantiate a fruitful perspective offurther 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
Address for correspondence: Sergei O. Skarlato. Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Avenue 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia; e-mail: s_skarlato@yahoo.com
