Carteria is a genus of green algae in the family Chlamydomonadaceae.[1] Carteria are similar in morphology to the common genus Chlamydomonas and differ by having four, rather than two, flagella at the vegetative stage.[2]

Carteria
Carteria obtusa, Dill. F, G: Vegetative cells, H, J, K: Stages of gametes mating
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Clade: Viridiplantae
Division: Chlorophyta
Class: Chlorophyceae
Order: Chlamydomonadales
Family: Chlamydomonadaceae
Genus: Carteria
Diesing
Species

The genus name of Carteria is in honour of Henry John Carter, (1813–1895), who was a surgeon working in Bombay, India, who carried out work in geology, paleontology, and zoology.[3]

The genus was circumscribed by Karl Moritz Diesing in Sitzungsber. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien, Math.-Nat. Cl., Abt. Vol.1 Issue 52 on page 356 in 1866.

Description

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Carteria is a single-celled organism. The cell is surrounded by a conspicuous wall which is often differentiated into a papilla at the anterior of the cell. There are four flagella, inserted at the location of the papilla, with a cruciate arrangement. Cells contain a single chloroplast. Pyrenoids are present, with one or several. There are often two contractile vacuoles per cell.[4]

Asexual reproduction occurs via zoospore formation within the parent cell wall.[2] The mode of sexual reproduction varies within Carteria: some species are isogamous, while Carteria obtusa is anisogamous.[5]

Taxonomy

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Over seventy species of Carteria have been described from freshwater and terrestrial habitats.[4] The chloroplast shape is species-specific and provides the basis for classification.[6]

Among the 4-flagellate algae, various genera have been split off from Carteria based on morphological evidence. Among them are Provasoliella, which lacks pyrenoids,[7] and Pseudocarteria, which has multiple (more than two) contractile vacuoles dispersed throughout the cytoplasm.[8]

It is likely that additional research will lead to further revision of this genus.[6] Based on the ultrastructure of the flagellar basal bodies, Lembi et al. divided Carteria into two groups. Group I contains spherical cells with flagellar bodies oriented in a cross. Group II contains ellipsoidal cells with flagellar bodies oriented in a four-armed spiral.[9] Molecular data also agree with this grouping; the two groups together do not form a monophyletic group.[5]

References

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  1. ^ See the NCBI webpage on Carteria. Data extracted from the "NCBI taxonomy resources". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  2. ^ a b Nakada, Takashi; Nozaki, Hisayoshi (2014). "Chapter 6. Flagellate Green Algae". In Wehr, John D.; Sheath, Robert G.; Kociolek, J. Patrick (eds.). Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification (2 ed.). Elsevier Inc. ISBN 978-0-12-385876-4.
  3. ^ Burkhardt, Lotte (2022). Eine Enzyklopädie zu eponymischen Pflanzennamen [Encyclopedia of eponymic plant names] (pdf) (in German). Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2022. ISBN 978-3-946292-41-8. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Bicudo, Carlos E. M.; Menezes, Mariângela (2006). Gêneros de Algas de Águas Continentais do Brasil: chave para identificação e descrições (2 ed.). RiMa Editora. p. 508. ISBN 857656064X.
  5. ^ a b Suda, Shoichiro; Nozaki, Hisayoshi; Watanabe, Makoto M. (2005). "Morphology and sexual reproduction of Carteria palmata sp. nov. Belonging to the Carteria group I sensu Lembi (Chlorophyceae, Volvocales)". Phycologia. 44 (6): 596. doi:10.2216/0031-8884(2005)44[596:MASROC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0031-8884. S2CID 84790646.
  6. ^ a b Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "Carteria". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  7. ^ Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "Provasoliella". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  8. ^ Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "Pseudocarteria". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  9. ^ Lembi, Carole A. (1975). "The fine structure of the flagellar apparatus of Carteria". Journal of Phycology. 11 (1): 1–9. Bibcode:1975JPcgy..11....1L. doi:10.1111/j.1529-8817.1975.tb02744.x. S2CID 85769935.