# Provora > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Provora > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Provora.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provora > Source revision: 1344521440 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Group of predatory microbes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = 24jaws Fig6d.png | image_caption = [Scanning electron microscopy](/source/Scanning_electron_microscopy) image of ''[Nibbleromonas kosolapovi](/source/Nibbleromonas_kosolapovi)'', a [nibblerid](/source/nibblerid) predator, biting on its prey, ''[Procryptobia sorokini](/source/Procryptobia_sorokini)''. Abbreviations: th, thorn; ac, acronemes. Scale bar: 2 µm. | taxon = Provora | authority = Tikhonenkov et al. 2022 | subdivision_ranks = Phyla | subdivision = * [Nebulidia](/source/Nebulidia) * [Nibbleridia](/source/Nibbleridia) | diversity = 8 species }} '''Provora''' is a [supergroup](/source/supergroup_(biology)) of [eukaryotes](/source/Eukaryote) made up of [predatory](/source/predatory) microbes, whose name implies something such as "protists devouring voraciously". It was reported that ten strains were isolated and cultured in 2022. They are predators of other microorganisms. Their discovery was very delayed, compared to other microorganisms in their environments, due to their rarity. Their [18S ribosomal RNA](/source/18S_ribosomal_RNA) is very different from that of other eukaryotes consistent with their being a lineage without known close relatives; this was confirmed by phylogenomic analyses of datasets of several hundred proteins, so they were taxonomically placed in a separate supergroup. == Description == Superficially, provorans are small, unassuming single-celled [flagellate](/source/flagellate)s with two [flagella](/source/flagella). They have a complex cell envelope, and use [extrusome](/source/extrusome)s (harpoon-like structures) and a ventral groove to attack and feed on their prey. Each flagellum is inserted into a separate flagellar pocket. The distinguishing characteristic is their unique behavior: they are particularly fast swimmers that feed exclusively on other single-celled [protist](/source/protist)s. One group, the [nebulids](/source/Nebulidia), swallow prey cells whole; the other, the [nibblerids](/source/Nibbleridia), 'nibble' on their prey using a jaw-like feeding apparatus.{{cite journal |last=Lamża |first=Łukasz |title=Deep‐branching eukaryotes and early events in protist evolution |journal=Biological Reviews |date=9 November 2025 |doi=10.1111/brv.70101 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lukasz-Lamza/publication/397445301_Deep-branching_eukaryotes_and_early_events_in_protist_evolution/links/691b6f3cde8143098271e2ac/Deep-branching-eukaryotes-and-early-events-in-protist-evolution.pdf}} ==Evolution== ===External relationships=== The supergroup Provora is composed of microbes that form an ancient lineage of [eukaryote](/source/eukaryote)s. The initial [phylogenetic analyses](/source/phylogenetic_analyses) recovered a position within the larger [supergroup](/source/supergroup_(biology)) [Diaphoretickes](/source/Diaphoretickes), particularly as sister to the [protist](/source/protist) groups [TSAR](/source/TSAR) and [Haptista](/source/Haptista). However, a 2024 [phylogenomic](/source/phylogenomic) analysis recovered Provora as part of a novel lineage of eukaryotes, specifically as the sister group to a clade containing [Hemimastigophora](/source/Hemimastigophora) and the species ''[Meteora sporadica](/source/Meteora_sporadica)''. Either position is reflected in the biology of Provora: their [extrusome](/source/extrusome)s are similar to those found in Hemimastigophora, while other cellular features most closely resemble those found in TSAR and Haptista, such as flagellar vanes, the architecture of the flagellar apparatus, and the presence of [cortical alveoli](/source/cortical_alveoli) below the cell membrane. The following cladogram represents the two alternative evolutionary positions: {{clade|style=font-size:85%;line-height:70%;|label1=[Eukaryote](/source/Eukaryote)s|1={{clade |2={{clade |1='''Provora'''|state1=dotted |2={{clade |1=[Hemimastigophora](/source/Hemimastigophora) |2=[Caelestes](/source/Caelestes) }} }} |3=[Metamonada](/source/Metamonada) |4=[Ancyromonadida](/source/Ancyromonadida) |5=[Malawimonadida](/source/Malawimonadida) |6={{clade |2=[CRuMs](/source/CRuMs) |label1=[Amorphea](/source/Amorphea)|1={{clade |1=[Amoebozoa](/source/Amoebozoa) |2=[Obazoa](/source/Obazoa) }}}} |1={{clade |2=[Discoba](/source/Discoba) |label1=[Diaphoretickes](/source/Diaphoretickes)|1={{clade |1={{clade |2='''Provora'''|state2=dotted |1={{clade |2=[Haptista](/source/Haptista) |label1=[TSAR](/source/SAR_supergroup) |1={{clade |2=[Telonemia](/source/Telonemia) |1=[SAR](/source/SAR_supergroup) }} }} }} |2={{clade |1=[Cryptista](/source/Cryptista) |2=[Archaeplastida](/source/Archaeplastida) }} }} }}}} }} ===Internal relationships=== The phylogenetic relationships between the eight described species of Provora is the following: {{clade|style=font-size:90%; |label1='''Provora''' |1={{clade |label1=[Nebulidia](/source/Nebulidia) |label2=[Nibbleridia](/source/Nibbleridia) |1={{clade |label1=''[Nebulomonas](/source/Nebulomonas)''|1=''[N. marisrubri](/source/Nebulomonas)'' |label2=''[Ancoracysta](/source/Ancoracysta)''|2=''[A. twista](/source/Ancoracysta)'' }} |2={{clade |label1=''[Ubysseya](/source/Ubysseya)''|1=''[U. fretuma](/source/Ubysseya)'' |label2=''[Nibbleromonas](/source/Nibbleromonas)'' |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=''[N. arcticus](/source/Nibbleromonas)'' |2=''[N. piranha](/source/Nibbleromonas)'' }} |2=''[N. kosolapovi](/source/Nibbleromonas)'' |3={{clade |1=''[N. curacaus](/source/Nibbleromonas)'' |2=''[N. quarantinus](/source/Nibbleromonas)'' }} }} }} }} }} ==References== {{Reflist|refs= {{cite journal |title=Microbial predators form a new supergroup of eukaryotes |date=7 December 2022 |display-authors=5 |last1=Tikhonenkov |first1=Denis V. |last2=Mikhailov |first2=Kirill V. |last3=Gawryluk |first3=Ryan M. R. |last4=Belyaev |first4=Artem O. |last5=Mathur |first5=Varsha |last6=Karpov |first6=Sergey A. |last7=Zagumyonnyi |first7=Dmitry G. |last8=Borodina |first8=Anastasia S. |last9=Prokina |first9=Kristina I. |last10=Mylnikov |first10=Alexander P. |last11=Aleoshin |first11=Vladimir V. |last12=Keeling |first12=Patrick J. |journal=Nature |volume=612 |issue=7941 |pages=714–719 |doi=10.1038/s41586-022-05511-5 |pmid=36477531|bibcode=2022Natur.612..714T |s2cid=254436650 }} {{cite journal|title=The nature of 'jaws': a new predatory representative of Provora and the ultrastructure of nibbling protists|first1=Artem O.|last1=Belyaev|first2=Sergey A.|last2=Karpov|first3=Patrick J.|last3=Keeling|first4=Denis V.|last4=Tikhonenkov|journal=Open Biology|date=18 December 2024|volume=14|issue=12|doi=10.1098/rsob.240158|doi-access=free|article-number=240158|pmid=39689855 |pmc=11651884}} {{cite journal|first1=Denis V.|last1=Tikhonenkov|first2=Kirill V.|last2=Mikhailov|first3=Ryan M. R.|last3=Gawryluk|first4=Patrick J.|last4=Keeling|date=7 August 2023|title=Provora|journal=Current Biology|volume=33|issue=15|pages=R790–R791|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.004|pmid=37552939 |doi-access=free}} {{Cite journal|title=''Meteora sporadica'', a protist with incredible cell architecture, is related to Hemimastigophora|journal=Current Biology|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.032|volume=34|pages=451–459|date=22 January 2024|first1=Yana|last1=Eglit|first2=Takashi|last2=Shiratori|first3=Jon|last3=Jerlström-Hultqvist|first4=Kelsey|last4=Williamson|first5=Andrew J.|last5=Roger|first6=Ken-Ichiro|last6=Ishida|first7=Alastair G.B.|last7=Simpson|issue=2 |pmid=38262350 |bibcode= }} }} {{Eukaryota|D.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q115803353}} Category:Diaphoretickes taxa Category:Protist taxa --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Provora](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provora) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provora?action=history)). 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