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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 7712

Johan F. De Jonckheere, Marc Pussard, Daniel G. Dive, and Keith Vickerman; Willaertia magna Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov. (Vahlkampfiidae), a Thermophilic Amoeba found in Different Habitats. Protistologica XX(1):5-13, 1984

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Willaertia magna gen. nov., sp. nov., a free-living amoeba isolated from different environments, is described. The prominent pores in the cyst wall suggest that the amoeba belongs to the genus Naegleria, but the fact that the trophozoite does not transform into a flagellate stage excludes it from this and other amoeboflagellate genera. Although its morphology is compatible with membership of the family Vahlkampfiidae, it does not conform with any described genus in this family. Serological and isoenzyme analyses confirm the distinction from Naegleria and the homogeneity of the five strains. This thermophilic free-living amoeba is not pathogenic in experimental animals, but destroys Vero cells.