Protists, eukaryotic unicellular organisms, play a crucial role in aquatic microbial food webs. Phagotrophic protists or protozoa use phagocytosis as a pathway to bring nutrient particles to the cell. They are either fully dependent on particulate food as heterotrophs or, as mixotrophs, combine photosynthesis with phagocytosis.
As a result of progress in research techniques such as electron and optical microscopy, image analysis, flow cytometry, and “omics” approaches, new applications have emerged that significantly enhance our ability to study protistan phagocytosis and its implications in aquatic microbiomes.
This Research Topic welcomes a variety of article types including Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Perspective and Opinion to provide a comprehensive exploration of phagotrophic protists. By prioritizing future investigations in this field, there’s potential to create progress in biomedical applications and environmental engineering, drawing increased attention and funding.
Among multiple aspects of unicellular phagocytosis, three under-explored aspects are proposed to deepen our understanding of its function in microbiomes and broader mechanistic consequences:
1. Complexity of protistan predation in aquatic food webs such as: the utilization of bacterial biofilms, interactions with animals, consequences of food selection, and role in biofilm pathogenicity.
2. Interactions between bacteria and phagotrophic protists including bacteria ingested by free-living amoebae and the symbiotic or parasitic relationships that may emerge. Examples include ciliates stimulating the growth of their prey through a feedback mechanism.
3. Similarity of phagocytosis between small freshwater, or soil, amoebae and phagotrophic lymphocytes, such as neutrophils and macrophages. Understanding the kinetics of feeding, ingestion, and digestion in relation to growth rates of free-living cells not only sheds light on health-related mechanisms but also offers insights into the evolutionary strategies governing cellular control.
Articles focusing on these themes can significantly contribute to our knowledge of phagotrophic protists and their pivotal role in shaping aquatic ecosystems, paving the way for transformative discoveries with implications across diverse fields.
This Research Topic was coordinated and developed by Dr. Milos Legner, an independent researcher and microbial ecologist with extensive experience in the biomedical field.
Keywords:
protist, phagotrophy, aquatic food web, aquatic protists, marine protist, phagocytosis, ciliates, phagotrophic protist
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Protists, eukaryotic unicellular organisms, play a crucial role in aquatic microbial food webs. Phagotrophic protists or protozoa use phagocytosis as a pathway to bring nutrient particles to the cell. They are either fully dependent on particulate food as heterotrophs or, as mixotrophs, combine photosynthesis with phagocytosis.
As a result of progress in research techniques such as electron and optical microscopy, image analysis, flow cytometry, and “omics” approaches, new applications have emerged that significantly enhance our ability to study protistan phagocytosis and its implications in aquatic microbiomes.
This Research Topic welcomes a variety of article types including Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Perspective and Opinion to provide a comprehensive exploration of phagotrophic protists. By prioritizing future investigations in this field, there’s potential to create progress in biomedical applications and environmental engineering, drawing increased attention and funding.
Among multiple aspects of unicellular phagocytosis, three under-explored aspects are proposed to deepen our understanding of its function in microbiomes and broader mechanistic consequences:
1. Complexity of protistan predation in aquatic food webs such as: the utilization of bacterial biofilms, interactions with animals, consequences of food selection, and role in biofilm pathogenicity.
2. Interactions between bacteria and phagotrophic protists including bacteria ingested by free-living amoebae and the symbiotic or parasitic relationships that may emerge. Examples include ciliates stimulating the growth of their prey through a feedback mechanism.
3. Similarity of phagocytosis between small freshwater, or soil, amoebae and phagotrophic lymphocytes, such as neutrophils and macrophages. Understanding the kinetics of feeding, ingestion, and digestion in relation to growth rates of free-living cells not only sheds light on health-related mechanisms but also offers insights into the evolutionary strategies governing cellular control.
Articles focusing on these themes can significantly contribute to our knowledge of phagotrophic protists and their pivotal role in shaping aquatic ecosystems, paving the way for transformative discoveries with implications across diverse fields.
This Research Topic was coordinated and developed by Dr. Milos Legner, an independent researcher and microbial ecologist with extensive experience in the biomedical field.
Keywords:
protist, phagotrophy, aquatic food web, aquatic protists, marine protist, phagocytosis, ciliates, phagotrophic protist
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.