An Acanthamoeba sp. containing two phylogenetically different bacterial endosymbionts
2007
Acanthamoeba with Two Different Bacterial Symbionts
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Heinz Eva, Kolarov Irina, Kästner Christian, Toenshoff Elena R, Wagner Michael, Horn Matthias
Primary Institution: Department of Microbial Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna
Hypothesis
Can Acanthamoeba sp. host two different bacterial endosymbionts simultaneously?
Conclusion
The study found that Acanthamoeba sp. OEW1 can maintain a stable symbiotic relationship with two different bacterial endosymbionts.
Supporting Evidence
- Acanthamoeba sp. OEW1 was isolated from a saline lake in Austria.
- The two endosymbionts were identified as belonging to the Betaproteobacteria and Chlamydiae.
- Both endosymbionts were found to coexist within the same amoeba cells.
Takeaway
This study shows that a type of amoeba can have two different bacteria living inside it at the same time, which is unusual.
Methodology
The amoeba was isolated from sediment samples and characterized using 16S rRNA sequence analysis and microscopy techniques.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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