Euglena gracilis

<h2 id="taxonomy">Taxonomy</h2>

A morphological and molecular study of the <a href="/facts/Euglenozoa/0wWA6UIF">Euglenozoa</a> put E. gracilis in close kinship with the species Khawkinea quartana, with Peranema trichophorum <a href="/facts/Basal_(phylogenetics)/JQPQXpYg">basal</a> to both,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> although a later molecular analysis showed that E. gracilis was more closely related to Astasia longa than to certain other species recognized as Euglena. 
The transcriptome of E. gracilis was sequenced, showing that E. gracilis has many unclassified genes which can make complex <a href="/facts/Carbohydrate/Geuuzxsf">carbohydrates</a> and <a href="/facts/Natural_product/J4RsVhmP">natural products</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a>

<h2 id="morphology">Morphology</h2>
The morphology is characterized by a spindle-shaped cell with a length ranging from 40 to 150 micrometers. The cell contains a pellicle which is a flexible outer covering made up of proteinaceous strips called pellicular strips. This pellicle provides shape and structure to the cell. The movement of the E. gracilis is primarily achieved by its flagellum that emerges from a flagellar pocket. It has forward and backwards movement, as well as changes in its direction. Additionally, E. gracilis contains a light-sensitive eyespot, or stigma, which enables it to exhibit phototaxis by moving towards light sources for photosynthesis. The cell also possesses a contractile vacuole responsible for osmoregulation, helping maintain proper water balance within the cell. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>

<h2 id="energy-storage">Energy storage</h2>
<a href="/facts/Paramylon/jPg8Ijo9">Paramylon</a> is a unique storage polysaccharide found in Euglena gracilis, serving as a reserve carbohydrate for energy storage. Structurally, paramylon is a linear β-1,3-glucan, distinct from the storage polysaccharide starch of plants and some species of <a href="/facts/Alga/U1ftVKU3">alga</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>

<h2 id="the-origin-of-the-middle-plastid-membrane">The origin of the middle plastid membrane</h2>
The plastids contain three membranes. These membranes are an evolutionary vestige of the secondary endosymbiotic event that occurred between a phagotrophic eukaryovorous euglenid and a Pyramimonas-related green alga.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> The plastids of Euglena are unusual since most secondary plastids are surrounded by four envelopes. The two inner ones are derived from the inner and outer chloroplast envelopes of the primary plastid of the alga that was taken up during the symbiotic event. The two outermost are derived from the plasma membrane of the alga (third) and the phagosome of the host (fourth).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>

<h2 id="biofuels">Biofuels</h2>
Microalgae are considered a possible source for <a href="/facts/Biodiesel/M6FkfJXH">biodiesel</a> production due to their high lipid content. Its lipids may be suitable for biodiesel production due to their saturation, such as fatty acyl-CoA reductase and wax synthase. These ratios vary on environmental and cultivation conditions.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a>

<h2 id="as-food">As food</h2>
In industry, Euglena gracilis is <a href="/facts/Genetic_engineering/vwdlDR61">genetically engineered</a> to produce a flour used to manufacture various <a href="/facts/Protein_(nutrient)/JTsv4Rhw">protein</a>-rich, non-animal foods.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li> Media related to Euglena gracilis at Wikimedia Commons</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Russell, A. G.; Watanabe, Y; Charette, JM; Gray, MW (2005). "Unusual features of fibrillarin cDNA and gene structure in Euglena gracilis: Evolutionary conservation of core proteins and structural predictions for methylation-guide box C/D snoRNPs throughout the domain Eucarya". Nucleic Acids Research. 33 (9): 2781–91. doi:10.1093/nar/gki574. PMC 1126904. PMID 15894796. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1126904" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1126904</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Wacker, Warren E. C. (1962-09-29). "Euglena: An Experimental Organism for Biochemical and Biophysical Studies". JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 181 (13): 1150. doi:10.1001/jama.1962.03050390052015. ISSN 0098-7484. <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jama.1962.03050390052015" target="_blank">http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jama.1962.03050390052015</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Lukáčová, Alexandra; Lihanová, Diana; Beck, Terézia; Alberty, Roman; Vešelényiová, Dominika; Krajčovič, Juraj; Vesteg, Matej (2023-08-12). "The Influence of Phenol on the Growth, Morphology and Cell Division of Euglena gracilis". Life. 13 (8). MDPI AG: 1734. doi:10.3390/life13081734. ISSN 2075-1729. PMC 10455851. PMID 37629591. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10455851" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10455851</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Lukáčová, Alexandra; Lihanová, Diana; Beck, Terézia; Alberty, Roman; Vešelényiová, Dominika; Krajčovič, Juraj; Vesteg, Matej (2023-08-12). "The Influence of Phenol on the Growth, Morphology and Cell Division of Euglena gracilis". Life. 13 (8). MDPI AG: 1734. doi:10.3390/life13081734. ISSN 2075-1729. PMC 10455851. PMID 37629591. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10455851" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10455851</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">Montegut-Felkner, Ann E.; Triemer, Richard E. (1997). "Phylogenetic Relationships of Selected Euglenoid Genera Based on Morphological and Molecular Data". Journal of Phycology. 33 (3): 512–9. Bibcode:1997JPcgy..33..512M. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3646.1997.00512.x. S2CID 83579360. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"The potential in your pond". ScienceDaily. August 14, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2023. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150814075751.htm" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150814075751.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">O'Neill, Ellis C.; Trick, Martin; Hill, Lionel; Rejzek, Martin; Dusi, Renata G.; Hamilton, Christopher J.; Zimba, Paul V.; Henrissat, Bernard; Field, Robert A. (2015). "The transcriptome of Euglena gracilis reveals unexpected metabolic capabilities for carbohydrate and natural product biochemistry". Molecular BioSystems. 11 (10): 2808–21. doi:10.1039/C5MB00319A. PMID 26289754. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039%2FC5MB00319A" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1039%2FC5MB00319A</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">Barsanti, Laura; Gualtieri, Paolo (2020-01-01), Konur, Ozcan (ed.), "Chapter 4 - Anatomy of Euglena gracilis", Handbook of Algal Science, Technology and Medicine, Academic Press, pp. 61–70, ISBN 978-0-12-818305-2, retrieved 2023-12-15 <a href="978-0-12-818305-2" target="_blank">978-0-12-818305-2</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Gissibl, Alexander; Sun, Angela; Care, Andrew; Nevalainen, Helena; Sunna, Anwar (2019). "Bioproducts From Euglena gracilis: Synthesis and Applications". Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 7: 108. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2019.00108. ISSN 2296-4185. PMC 6530250. PMID 31157220. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6530250" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6530250</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Minorsky, Peter (2020-12-10). "On the Inside: The Origins of Euglena gracilis's Middle Plastid Envelope Membrane". Plantae. Retrieved 2023-12-15. <a href="https://plantae.org/on-the-inside-the-origins-of-euglena-graciliss-middle-plastid-envelope-membrane/" target="_blank">https://plantae.org/on-the-inside-the-origins-of-euglena-graciliss-middle-plastid-envelope-membrane/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Minorsky, Peter (2020-12-10). "On the Inside: The Origins of Euglena gracilis's Middle Plastid Envelope Membrane". Plantae. Retrieved 2023-12-15. <a href="https://plantae.org/on-the-inside-the-origins-of-euglena-graciliss-middle-plastid-envelope-membrane/" target="_blank">https://plantae.org/on-the-inside-the-origins-of-euglena-graciliss-middle-plastid-envelope-membrane/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Gissibl, Alexander; Sun, Angela; Care, Andrew; Nevalainen, Helena; Sunna, Anwar (2019). "Bioproducts From Euglena gracilis: Synthesis and Applications". Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 7: 108. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2019.00108. ISSN 2296-4185. PMC 6530250. PMID 31157220. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6530250" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6530250</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Harada R, Nomura T, Yamada K, Mochida K, Suzuki K (2020). "Genetic Engineering Strategies for Euglena gracilis and Its Industrial Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals: A Review". Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 8: 790. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2020.00790. PMC 7371780. PMID 32760709. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7371780" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7371780</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Euglena gracilis open-in-new

Euglena gracilis