The phylogenetic position of Kofoidia loriculata (Parabasalia) and its implications for the evolution of the Cristamonadea

Abstract

Kofoidia loriculata is a parabasalid symbiont inhabiting the hindgut of the lower termite Paraneotermes simplicicornis. It was initially described as a lophomonad due to its apical tuft of multiple flagella that disintegrate during cell division, but its phylogenetic relationships have not been investigated using molecular evidence. From single cell isolations, we sequenced the small subunit rRNA gene and determined that K. loriculata falls within the Cristamonadea, but is unrelated to other lophomonads. This analysis further demonstrates the polyphyly of the lophomonads and the necessity to re-assess the morphological and cellular evolution of the Cristamonadea.

Keywords: 18S rRNA; Kofoidiidae; Paraneotermes simplicicornis; cristamonad; lophomonad; parabasalid; symbiont; termite hindgut.