Ref ID : 4110
Johan F. De Jonckheere; Isoenzyme and Total Protein Analysis by Agarose Isoelectric Focusing, and Taxonomy of the Genus Acanthamoeba. J.Protozool. 30(4):701-706, 1983
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Thirty axenically grown reference strains belonging to 15 different Acanthamoeba spp. were investigated for isoenzyme patterns by agarose isoelectric focusing in the pH range 3-10. Zymograms of acid phosphatase, leucine amino peptidase, malate dehydrogenase, propionyl esterase, glucose phosphate isomerase, phosphoglucomutase, and alcohol dehydrogenase were compared. The same strains were also analyzed for protein patterns separated by agarose isoelectric focusing in a pH gradient of 5-8. The results suggested changes in taxonomy within morphology group II of Pussard & Pons. Acanthamoeba paradivionensis becomes a synonym of A. divionensis. Although this species seems to be related to A. rhysodes, it could not be concluded that the species names are synonyms since the type strain of A. rhysodes was not available for comparison. In the subgroup A. polyphaga - A. quina - A. lugdunensis, A. lugdunensis becomes the species name for pathogenic strains of this subgroup, A. quina for the nonpathogenic strains, while A. polyphaga is the species name for an atypical strain. Two strains of A. castellanii showed different zymograms from strain Neff of this species, but related protein patterns. In group III, A. pustulosa is found to be a synonym of A. palestinensis, while one strain of A. lenticulata is also found to belong to the A. palestinensis species. All other species names in both morphology groups could be retained as valuable, on the basis of the techniques used. Group I was not investigated, as axenic cultures could not be obtained.