The Phytomyxea (“plasmodiophorids”) including both Plasmodiophorida and Phagomyxida is a monophyletic group of Eukaryotes composed of obligate biotrophic parasites of green plants, brown algae, diatoms and stramenopiles commonly found in many freshwater, soil and marine environments. However, most research on Phytomyxea has been restricted to plant pathogenic species with agricultural importance, thereby missing the huge ecological potential of this enigmatic group of parasites. Members of the Phytomyxea can induce changes in biomass in their hosts (e.g. hypertrophies of the host tissue) under suitable environmental conditions. Upon infection they alter the metabolism of their hosts, consequently changing the metabolic status of their host. This results in an altered chemical composition of the host tissue, which impacts the diversity of species which feed on the tissues of the infected host and on the zoospores produced by the parasites. Furthermore, significant amounts of nutrients derived from the hosts, both primary producers (plants and algae) and primary consumers (litter decomposers and plant parasites [Oomycetes]), can enter the food web at different trophic levels in form of zoospores and resting spores. Large numbers of zoospores and resting spores are produced which can be eaten by secondary and tertiary consumers, such as grazing zooplankton and metazoan filter-feeders. Therefore, these microbes can act as energy-rich nutrient resources which may significantly alter the trophic relationships in fresh water, soil and marine habitats. Based on the presented data, Phytomyxea can significantly contribute to the complexity and energy transfer within food webs.

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Phytomyxea（“疟原虫”）在水生食物网中的生态潜力

Phytomyxea（“plasmodiophorids”）包括 Plasmodiophorida 和 Phagomyxida 是真核生物的单系群，由在许多淡水、土壤和海洋环境中常见的绿色植物、褐藻、硅藻和原生藻的专性生物营养寄生虫组成。然而，大多数对 Phytomyxea 的研究仅限于具有农业重要性的植物病原物种，从而错过了这一神秘寄生虫群体的巨大生态潜力。Phytomyxea 的成员可以在合适的环境条件下诱导其宿主生物量的变化（例如宿主组织的肥大）。感染后，它们会改变宿主的新陈代谢，从而改变宿主的新陈代谢状态。这会导致宿主组织的化学成分发生改变，这会影响以受感染宿主组织和寄生虫产生的游动孢子为食的物种的多样性。此外，来自宿主的大量营养物质，包括初级生产者（植物和藻类）和初级消费者（垃圾分解者和植物寄生虫 [卵菌纲]），可以以游动孢子和静止孢子的形式以不同的营养水平进入食物网。产生大量游动孢子和静息孢子，可供二级和三级消费者食用，例如放牧的浮游动物和后生动物的滤食性动物。因此，这些微生物可以作为富含能量的营养资源，可以显着改变淡水、土壤和海洋栖息地的营养关系。根据提供的数据，