Opisthokont Information & Opisthokont Links at HealthHaven.com

;	Plantae
	;
;	Chromalveolata
	;
	;
	Amoebozoa
	;
;	Choanozoa
	;
;	Animalia
	;
	;
;	Nucleariids
	;
;	Fungi
	;
	;
	;
	;

Opisthokont; Fossil range: Neoproterozoic - Recent
	A human holding a mushroom; both are opisthokonts, unlike the trees behind them
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota;

The opisthokonts (Greek: ὀπίσθω- (opisthō-) = "rear, posterior" + κοντός (kontos) = "pole" i.e. flagellum) are a broad group of eukaryotes, including both the animal and fungus kingdoms,^[1] together with the microorganisms which are sometimes grouped in the paraphyletic phylum Choanozoa (previously assigned to the protist "kingdom").^[2] Both genetic and ultrastructural studies strongly support that opisthokonts form a monophyletic group.

"Opisthokonta" and "Fungi/Metazoa group" are sometimes considered synonymous.^[3]

[edit] Flagella

One common characteristic is that flagellate cells, such as most animal sperm and chytrid spores, propel themselves with a single posterior flagellum. This gives the groups its name.

In contrast, flagellate cells in other eukaryote groups propel themselves with one or more anterior flagella.

[edit] History

The close relationship between animals and fungi was suggested by Cavalier-Smith in 1987,^[4] who used the informal name opisthokonta (the formal name has been used for the chytrids), and was confirmed by later genetic studies.^[5]

Early phylogenies placed them near the plants and other groups that have mitochondria with flat cristae, but this character varies.

Cavalier-Smith and Stechmann^[6] argue that the uniciliate eukaryotes such as opisthokonts and Amoebozoa, collectively called unikonts, split off from the other biciliate eukaryotes, called bikonts, shortly after they evolved.

[edit] Taxonomy

Eukaryota tree

[edit] References

^ Shalchian-Tabrizi K, Minge MA, Espelund M, et al. (2008). "Multigene phylogeny of choanozoa and the origin of animals". PLoS ONE 3 (5): e2098. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002098. PMID 18461162. PMC 2346548. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002098.
^ Steenkamp ET, Wright J, Baldauf SL (January 2006). "The protistan origins of animals and fungi". Mol. Biol. Evol. 23 (1): 93–106. doi:10.1093/molbev/msj011. PMID 16151185. http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16151185.
^ "Fungi/Metazoa group". http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/33154. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
^ Cavalier-Smith, T. (1987). "The origin of fungi and pseudofungi". in Rayner, Alan D. M. (ed.). Evolutionary biology of Fungi. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. pp. 339–353. ISBN 0-521-33050-5.
^ Wainright PO, Hinkle G, Sogin ML, Stickel SK (April 1993). "Monophyletic origins of the metazoa: an evolutionary link with fungi". Science (journal) 260 (5106): 340–2. PMID 8469985. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=8469985.
^ Stechmann, A.; Cavalier-Smith, T. (2002). "Rooting the eukaryote tree by using a derived gene fusion". Science 297: 89–91. doi:10.1126/science.1071196.
^ Phylogeny based on:
- Eichinger, L.; Pachebat, J.A.; Glöckner, G.; Rajandream, M.A.; Sucgang, R.; Berriman, M.; Song, J.; Olsen, R.; Szafranski, K.; Xu, Q.; Others, (2005). "The genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum". Nature 435 (7038): 43-57. doi:10.1038/nature03481.
- Steenkamp, E.T.; Wright, J.; Baldauf, S.L. (2006). "The Protistan Origins of Animals and Fungi". Molecular Biology and Evolution 23 (1): 93-106. doi:10.1093/molbev/msj011.

[edit] External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Opisthokonta

Tree of Life Eukaryotes

[pmid18461162-0] Shalchian-Tabrizi K, Minge MA, Espelund M, et al. (2008). "Multigene phylogeny of choanozoa and the origin of animals". PLoS ONE 3 (5): e2098. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002098. PMID 18461162. PMC 2346548. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002098.

[pmid16151185-1] Steenkamp ET, Wright J, Baldauf SL (January 2006). "The protistan origins of animals and fungi". Mol. Biol. Evol. 23 (1): 93–106. doi:10.1093/molbev/msj011. PMID 16151185. http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16151185.

[urlFungi.2FMetazoa_group-2] "Fungi/Metazoa group". http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/33154. Retrieved 2009-03-08.

[3] Cavalier-Smith, T. (1987). "The origin of fungi and pseudofungi". in Rayner, Alan D. M. (ed.). Evolutionary biology of Fungi. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. pp. 339–353. ISBN 0-521-33050-5.

[pmid8469985-4] Wainright PO, Hinkle G, Sogin ML, Stickel SK (April 1993). "Monophyletic origins of the metazoa: an evolutionary link with fungi". Science (journal) 260 (5106): 340–2. PMID 8469985. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=8469985.

[5] Stechmann, A.; Cavalier-Smith, T. (2002). "Rooting the eukaryote tree by using a derived gene fusion". Science 297: 89–91. doi:10.1126/science.1071196.

[Stem_group_kingdoms-6] Phylogeny based on:

Eichinger, L.; Pachebat, J.A.; Glöckner, G.; Rajandream, M.A.; Sucgang, R.; Berriman, M.; Song, J.; Olsen, R.; Szafranski, K.; Xu, Q.; Others, (2005). "The genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum". Nature 435 (7038): 43-57. doi:10.1038/nature03481.

Steenkamp, E.T.; Wright, J.; Baldauf, S.L. (2006). "The Protistan Origins of Animals and Fungi". Molecular Biology and Evolution 23 (1): 93-106. doi:10.1093/molbev/msj011.

[8] Eichinger, L.; Pachebat, J.A.; Glöckner, G.; Rajandream, M.A.; Sucgang, R.; Berriman, M.; Song, J.; Olsen, R.; Szafranski, K.; Xu, Q.; Others, (2005). "The genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum". Nature 435 (7038): 43-57. doi:10.1038/nature03481.

[9] Steenkamp, E.T.; Wright, J.; Baldauf, S.L. (2006). "The Protistan Origins of Animals and Fungi". Molecular Biology and Evolution 23 (1): 93-106. doi:10.1093/molbev/msj011.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Contents

[edit] Flagella

[edit] History

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] References

[edit] External links