| Abstract |
According to the huge diversity of protists, symbioses with eukaryotes and prokaryotes were established frequently during evolution. Ciliates were in focus of researchers since the beginning of research on unicellular organisms, after invention of the light microscope. Nowadays, in ciliates the known endosymbiotic diversity seems to be extraordinary but may be represented by only a small number of the existing diversity of endosymbiotic prokaryotes in ciliates worldwide. In this chapter, we provide information about the history, diversity, and cytology of prokaryotic symbionts within the ciliates, as well as we describe some methods for the isolation, cultivation, and identification of these symbionts. Future research may broaden the knowledge presented here, to enhance our knowledge how these associations evolved, how they were established into permanent associations, and how they interact. and their interactions.
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