Photo credit: www.sciencenews.org
Extreme Climate Survey
Science News is gathering inquiries from readers about understanding our planet’s evolving climate.
What aspects of extreme heat and its connection to severe weather events are you curious about?
Within a water-filled petri dish, scientists observed numerous round, reddish blobs that are characteristic of vampyrellids after feeding. However, the associated algae were notably absent of the typical feeding marks that indicate predation.
Time-lapse imaging verified the identity of these amoebas as vampyrellids, yet their feeding mechanism appeared unique. Unlike typical micropredators, these unicellular organisms enveloped and partitioned off the cells of Closterium algae, extracting their contents while discarding the unabsorbed remnants.
“We were initially astonished,” remarked Suthaus. “This raised new questions about the specific mechanisms these amoebas employ.”
Experiments focusing on the feeding behavior of S. ruptor illuminated an intricate process. The organism retains the engulfed algae within a specialized compartment, where enzymes appear to disintegrate one section of the algae’s cell wall while the other remains affixed to the compartment. As this chamber enlarges, the algae cell pops open akin to a shelled pistachio, allowing S. ruptor to delve in and retrieve its meal, while rejecting the empty cell wall.
This peculiar group of vampyrellids seems to belong to a previously unrecognized genus and species, with genetic studies supporting this classification. The proposed genus name, Strigomyxa, draws its roots from ancient Greek, combining terms for owl and mucus or slime, reflecting the organism’s unique regurgitation-like behavior.
“Observing similar pellet production in various other organisms typically involves multiple cells performing different functions. However, here we have a single cell executing this complex task,” Suthaus explained. “This sheds light on the remarkable adaptability evident in evolution.”
Source
www.sciencenews.org