Meringosphaera

Meringosphaera
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Class:	Centrohelida
Genus:	Meringosphaera; Lohmann, 1902

Meringosphaera is a genus of protists belonging to the centrohelids.

The species of this genus are reported to have worldwide distribution including in Eurasia, Africa and Northern America.

Meringosphaera belongs to centrohelidas it has been considered heterotrophic eukaryotes . Previous descriptions of the genus have described the cells as containing "golden green" bodies which has raised speculations regarding having a potential plastid. In 2023 it was confirmed that Meringosphaera has either permanent or semi-permanent plastids despite its position within a class of heterotrophic eukaryotes.

In 2026 reseachers showed that Meringosphaera likely is compromised of several extant lineages, with varying plastid status. The plastid-bearing lineages has been shown to have permanent plastids originating from the green algae Dictyochophyceae . The plastids and Meringosphaera lineages also show mirroring evolutionary patterns which could be an indicator of co-evolution. Those Meringosphaera groups have thus been confirmed to be newly found algae lineages and a result of horizontal plastid acquisition .

Species:

References

1 2 3 Zlatogursky, Vasily V.; Shɨshkin, Yegor; Drachko, Daria; Burki, Fabien (2021). "The long-time orphan protist Meringosphaera mediterranea Lohmann, 1902 [1903] is a centrohelid heliozoan" (PDF). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 68 (5) e12860. bioRxiv 10.1101/2021.03.17.435794. doi:10.1111/jeu.12860. ISSN 1066-5234. PMID 34048133. S2CID 232327323.
1 2 "Meringosphaera Lohmann, 1903". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
1 2 Sørensen, Megan E.S.; Zlatogursky, Vasily V.; Onuţ-Brännström, Ioana; Walraven, Anne; Foster, Rachel A.; Burki, Fabien (September 2023). "A novel kleptoplastidic symbiosis revealed in the marine centrohelid Meringosphaera with evidence of genetic integration". Current Biology. 33 (17): 3571–3584.e6. Bibcode:2023CBio...33E3571S. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.017. ISSN 0960-9822. PMC 7615077. PMID 37536342.
1 2 3 Walraven, Anne; Zlatogursky, Vasily; Keeling, Patrick J.; Foster, Rachel A.; Burki, Fabien (2026-06-26), Single cell genomics and fluorescence microscopy suggest a permanent plastid in a marine centrohelid, doi:10.64898/2026.06.22.732937, retrieved 2026-11-01

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[Zlatogursky-1] 1 2 3 Zlatogursky, Vasily V.; Shɨshkin, Yegor; Drachko, Daria; Burki, Fabien (2021). "The long-time orphan protist Meringosphaera mediterranea Lohmann, 1902 [1903] is a centrohelid heliozoan" (PDF). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 68 (5) e12860. bioRxiv 10.1101/2021.03.17.435794. doi:10.1111/jeu.12860. ISSN 1066-5234. PMID 34048133. S2CID 232327323.

[GBIF-2] 1 2 "Meringosphaera Lohmann, 1903". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 30 April 2021.

[SørensenZlatogurskyOnuţ-BrännströmWalraven2023-1-3] 1 2 Sørensen, Megan E.S.; Zlatogursky, Vasily V.; Onuţ-Brännström, Ioana; Walraven, Anne; Foster, Rachel A.; Burki, Fabien (September 2023). "A novel kleptoplastidic symbiosis revealed in the marine centrohelid Meringosphaera with evidence of genetic integration". Current Biology. 33 (17): 3571–3584.e6. Bibcode:2023CBio...33E3571S. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.017. ISSN 0960-9822. PMC 7615077. PMID 37536342.

[WalravenZlatogurskyKeelingFoster2026-1-4] 1 2 3 Walraven, Anne; Zlatogursky, Vasily; Keeling, Patrick J.; Foster, Rachel A.; Burki, Fabien (2026-06-26), Single cell genomics and fluorescence microscopy suggest a permanent plastid in a marine centrohelid, doi:10.64898/2026.06.22.732937, retrieved 2026-11-01