Metamonad

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Metamonada
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Metamonad
"Giardia lamblia", a parasitic diplomonad
Giardia lamblia
, a parasitic diplomonad
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Excavata
Phylum: Metamonada
Cavalier-Smith
2003
Classes & orders
Synonyms[2]
  • ?Archezoa
  • Centrosomea Chatton Villeneuve 1937
  • Metamonadina Grassé 1952
  • Polymastigota Butschli 1884
  • Tetramastigota Hulsmann & Hausmann 1994

The metamonads are a large group of

amitochondriate microscopic eukaryotes. Their composition is not entirely settled, but they include the retortamonads, diplomonads, and possibly the parabasalids and oxymonads as well. These four groups are all anaerobic (many being aerotolerant anaerobes), occurring mostly as symbiotes or parasites of animals, as is the case with Giardia lamblia which causes diarrhea in mammals.[2]

Characteristics

A number of parabasalids and oxymonads are found in

guts, and play an important role in breaking down the cellulose found in wood. Some other metamonads are parasites
.

These flagellates are unusual in lacking mitochondria. Originally they were considered among the most primitive eukaryotes, diverging from the others before mitochondria appeared. However, they are now known to have lost mitochondria secondarily, and retain both organelles and nuclear genes derived from them. Mitochondrial relics include hydrogenosomes, which produce hydrogen, and small structures called mitosomes.

It now appears the Metamonada are, together with

Podiata.[3]

All of these groups are united by having flagella or basal bodies in characteristic groups of four, which are often associated with the nucleus, forming a structure called a karyomastigont. In addition, the genera Carpediemonas and Trimastix are now known to be close relatives of the retortamonad-diplomonad line and the oxymonads, respectively. Both are free-living and amitochondriate.

Classification

The metamonads were thought to make up part of the

monophyletic
subgroup.

The following higher level treatment from 2013 is based on works of

Fornicata from Yubukia, Simpson & Leander.[6]

Metamonada were once again proposed to be basal eukaryotes in 2018.[7]

References

External links