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<p><i>Colpoda</i> are among the most predominant eukaryotic microorganisms in soil ecosystems, playing crucial roles in material and energy cycling within soil and plant rhizosphere environments. <i>Colpoda</i> can form two distinct types of cysts in soil: reproductive cysts and resting cysts. Reproductive cyst represents an essential developmental stage for <i>Colpoda</i> proliferation and environmental adaptation. This study comprehensively characterized the reproductive cyst formation process of <i>Colpoda inflata</i>, identifying carbohydrate-coated granular structures derived from bacterial digestive products as their key morphological feature. <i>C. inflata</i> secretions were found to stimulate reproductive cyst formation effectively. We obtained a high-quality genome assembly of <i>C. inflata</i> and subsequently isolated and characterized three classes of excretory proteins. <i>In vitro</i> experiments demonstrated that an alpha-amylase is sufficient to induce reproductive cyst formation and rapid proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, achieving maximum cell densities 4.6 times higher than those in standard culture conditions. Further investigations revealed that <i>C. inflata</i> alpha-amylase could cross-induce reproductive cyst formation in different <i>Colpoda</i> species, with induction efficiency inversely correlated with phylogenetic distance. Heterologous expression of alpha-amylases from various <i>Colpoda</i> species demonstrated cross-induction capabilities, suggesting interspecies interactions among <i>Colpodas</i> in soil and rhizosphere ecosystems. In summary, this study provides critical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying <i>Colpoda</i> reproductive cyst formation. The identified mechanism enables substantial biomass enhancement of <i>Colpoda</i> populations, allowing for future genetic engineering applications that aim to develop <i>Colpoda</i>-based bioremediation strategies for soil contaminants and microbial interventions in agricultural production systems.</p>

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A secreted alpha-amylase effectively induces reproductive cyst formation both within and across Colpoda species, key soil-dwelling protists

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月9日

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  • Zixin Cheng,
  • Zhongqiao Song,
  • Kejia Fu,
  • Yuan Wang,
  • Kai Chen,
  • Jing Zhang,
  • Che Hu,
  • Xiaocui Chai,
  • Shuai Luo,
  • Fang Zhou,
  • Yuan Xiao,
  • Zhenfei Xing,
  • Chuanqi Jiang,
  • Wei Miao,
  • Jie Xiong

摘要

Colpoda are among the most predominant eukaryotic microorganisms in soil ecosystems, playing crucial roles in material and energy cycling within soil and plant rhizosphere environments. Colpoda can form two distinct types of cysts in soil: reproductive cysts and resting cysts. Reproductive cyst represents an essential developmental stage for Colpoda proliferation and environmental adaptation. This study comprehensively characterized the reproductive cyst formation process of Colpoda inflata, identifying carbohydrate-coated granular structures derived from bacterial digestive products as their key morphological feature. C. inflata secretions were found to stimulate reproductive cyst formation effectively. We obtained a high-quality genome assembly of C. inflata and subsequently isolated and characterized three classes of excretory proteins. In vitro experiments demonstrated that an alpha-amylase is sufficient to induce reproductive cyst formation and rapid proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, achieving maximum cell densities 4.6 times higher than those in standard culture conditions. Further investigations revealed that C. inflata alpha-amylase could cross-induce reproductive cyst formation in different Colpoda species, with induction efficiency inversely correlated with phylogenetic distance. Heterologous expression of alpha-amylases from various Colpoda species demonstrated cross-induction capabilities, suggesting interspecies interactions among Colpodas in soil and rhizosphere ecosystems. In summary, this study provides critical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying Colpoda reproductive cyst formation. The identified mechanism enables substantial biomass enhancement of Colpoda populations, allowing for future genetic engineering applications that aim to develop Colpoda-based bioremediation strategies for soil contaminants and microbial interventions in agricultural production systems.