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Jeuck A, Nitsche F, Wylezich C, Wirth O, Bergfeld T, Brutscher F, Hennemann M, Monir S, Scherwaß A, Troll N, Arndt H. A Comparison of Methods to Analyze Aquatic Heterotrophic Flagellates of Different Taxonomic Groups. Protist 2017; 168:375-391. [PMID: 28654859 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Heterotrophic flagellates contribute significantly to the matter flux in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Still today their quantification and taxonomic classification bear several problems in field studies, though these methodological problems seem to be increasingly ignored in current ecological studies. Here we describe and test different methods, the live-counting technique, different fixation techniques, cultivation methods like the liquid aliquot method (LAM), and a molecular single cell survey called aliquot PCR (aPCR). All these methods have been tested either using aquatic field samples or cultures of freshwater and marine taxa. Each of the described methods has its advantages and disadvantages, which have to be considered in every single case. With the live-counting technique a detection of living cells up to morphospecies level is possible. Fixation of cells and staining methods are advantageous due to the possible long-term storage and observation of samples. Cultivation methods (LAM) offer the possibility of subsequent molecular analyses, and aPCR tools might complete the deficiency of LAM in terms of the missing detection of non-cultivable flagellates. In summary, we propose a combination of several investigation techniques reducing the gap between the different methodological problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Jeuck
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Frank Nitsche
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Claudia Wylezich
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Olaf Wirth
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Tanja Bergfeld
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabienne Brutscher
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Melanie Hennemann
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Shahla Monir
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Anja Scherwaß
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Nicole Troll
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany.
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