Subulatomonas tetraspora nov. gen. nov. sp. is a member of a previously unrecognized major clade of eukaryotes

Abstract

While a large number of aerobic free-living protists have been described within the last decade, the number of new anaerobic or microaerophilic microbial eukaryotic taxa has lagged behind. Here we describe a microaerophilic genus and species of amoeboflagellate isolated from a near-shore marine site off the coast at Plymouth, Massachusetts: Subulatomonas tetraspora nov. gen. nov. sp. This taxon is closely related to Breviata anathema based on both microscopical features and phylogenetic analyses of sequences of three genes: SSU-rDNA, actin, and alpha-tubulin. However, Subulatomonas tetraspora nov. gen. nov. sp. and B. anathema are morphologically distinctive, differ by 14.9% at their SSU-rDNA locus, and were isolated from marine and 'slightly brackish' environments, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of these two taxa plus closely related sequences from environmental surveys provide support for a novel clade of eukaryotes that is distinct from the major clades including the Opisthokonta, Excavata, Amoebozoa and 'SAR' (Stramenopile, Alveolate, Rhizaria).