MORPHOLOGY AND PHYLOGENY OF TWO NEWLY RECORDED CILIATES (PARAMECIUM PRIMAURELIA AND TETRAHYMENA MIMBRES) FROM TIBETAN HOT SPRINGS IN CHINA

We used living observation, protargol impregnation and silver staining methods to investigate the nuclei morphology and position, infraciliature, and oral apparatus of two oligohymenophorean ciliates: Paramecium primaurelia and Tetrahymena mimbres, which collected from hot springs of Tibet Autonomous Region. SSU rDNA and COXⅠ genes of these two species were sequenced, and the phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. primaurelia is clustered in Paramecium aurelia complex, and T. mimbres is clustered in Tetrahymena borealis group. These two species are newly recorded in China from the hot springs of Tibet Autonomous Region. The study of these two newly recorded species not only provides new methods and insights for the discovery of protozoa resources in the Tibetan hot springs, but also provides basic information for the study of protozoa environmental adaptation.