FAQ
Jagiellonian University logo

Electron Microscopical Investigations of a New Species of the Genus Sappinia (Thecamoebidae, Amoebozoa), Sappinia platani sp. nov., Reveal a Dictyosome in this Genus

Publication date: 31.10.2014

Acta Protozoologica, 2015, Volume 54, Issue 1, pp. 45 - 51

https://doi.org/10.4467/16890027AP.15.004.2191

Authors

,
Claudia Wylezich
Department of General Ecology, Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Germany; present address: Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany
All publications →
,
Alexander Kudryavtsev
Research Group Protozoology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Molecular Systematics Group, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Soil Science, St-Petersburg State University, St-Petersburg, Russia
All publications →
,
Rolf Michel
Central Institute of the Federal Armed Forces Medical Services, Koblenz, Germany
All publications →
,
Daniele Corsaro
CHLAREAS – Chlamydia Research Association, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
All publications →
Julia Walochnik
Molecular Parasitology, Institute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
All publications →

Titles

Electron Microscopical Investigations of a New Species of the Genus Sappinia (Thecamoebidae, Amoebozoa), Sappinia platani sp. nov., Reveal a Dictyosome in this Genus

Abstract

The genus Sappinia belongs to the family Thecamoebidae within the Discosea (Amoebozoa). For long time the genus comprised only two species, S. pedata and S. diploidea, based on morphological investigations. However, recent molecular studies on gene sequences of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene revealed a high genetic diversity within the genus Sappinia. This indicated a larger species richness than previously assumed and the establishment of new species was predicted. Here, Sappinia platani sp. nov. (strain PL-247) is described and ultrastructurally investigated. This strain was isolated from the bark of a sycamore tree (Koblenz, Germany) like the re-described neotype of S. diploidea. The new species shows the typical characteristics of the genus such as flattened and binucleate trophozoites with a differentiation of anterior hyaloplasm and without discrete pseudopodia as well as bicellular cysts. Additionally, the new species possesses numerous endocytobionts and dictyosomes. The latter could not be found in previous EM studies of the genus Sappinia. Standing forms, a character of the species S. pedata, could be formed on older cultures of the new species but appeared extremely seldom. A loose layer of irregular, bent hair-like structures cover the plasma membrane dissimilar to the glycocalyx types as formerly detected in other Sappinia strains. 

References

Download references

Brown M. W., Spiegel F. W., Silberman J. D. (2007) Amoeba at attention: phylogenetic affinity of Sappinia pedata. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 54: 511–519

Cook W. R. I. (1939) Some observations on Sappinia pedata Dang. Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. 22: 302–306

Dangeard P. A. (1896) Contribution à l’étude des Acrasiées. Botaniste 5: 1–20

Gelman B. B., Rauf S. J., Nader R., Popov V., Borkowski J., Chaljub G., Nauta H. W., Visvesvara G. S. (2001) Amoebic encephalitis due to Sappinia diploidea. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 285: 2450–2451

Gelman B. B., Popov V., Chaljub G., Nader R., Rauf S. J., Nauta H. W., Visvesvara G. S. (2003) Neuropathological and ultrastructural features of amoebic encephalitis caused by Sappinia diploidea. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 62: 990–998

Goodfellow L. P., Belcher J. H., Page F. C. (1974) A light- and electron-microscopical study of Sappinia diploidea, a sexual amoeba. Protistologica 2: 207–216

Guindon S., Lethiec F., Duroux P., Gascuel O. (2005) PHYML Online – a web server for fast maximum likelihood-based phylogenetic inference. Nucleic Acids Res. 33: W557–559

Hall T. A. (1999) BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucleic Acids Res. Symp. Ser. 41: 95–98

Hartmann M., Nägler K. (1908) Copulation bei Amoeba diploidea n. sp. mit Selbständigbleiben der Gametenkerne während des ganzen Lebenszyklus. Sitzungsber. d. Ges. Naturforsch. Fr. Berlin 5: 112–125

Huelsenbeck J. P., Ronquist F., Nielsen R., Bollback J. P. (2001) Bayesian inference of phylogeny and its impact on evolutionary biology. Science 294: 2310–2314

Levine N. D. (1961) Protozoan Parasites of Domestic Animals and of Man. Burgess Publishing Company Minneapolis, Minnesota

Michel R., Wylezich C., Hauröder B., Smirnov A. V. (2006) Phylogenetic position and notes on the ultrastructure of Sappinia diploidea (Thecamoebidae). Protistology 4: 319–325

Noble G. A. (1958) Coprozoic protozoa from Wyoming animals. J. Protozool. 5: 9–74

Olive E. W. (1902) Monograph of the Acrasieae. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 30: 451–510

Page F. C. (1988) A New Key to Freshwater and Soil Gymnamoebia. Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside

Page F. C., Siemensma F. J. (1991) Nackte Rhizopoda und Heliozoa. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, New York

Raper K. B. (1940) The communal nature of the fruiting process in the Acrasieae. Am. J. Bot. 27: 436–448

Raper K. B. (1960) Levels of cellular interaction in amoeboid populations. Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. 104: 579–604

Qvarnstrom Y., da Silva A. J., Schuster F. L., Gelman B. B., Visvesvara G. S. (2009) Molecular confirmation of Sappinia pedata as a causative agent of amoebic encephalitis. J. Infect. Dis. 199: 1139–1142

Schuster F. L. (2002) Cultivation of pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amebas. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15: 342–354

Schuster F. L., Visvesvara G. S. (2004) Free-living amoebae as opportunistic and non-opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. Int. J. Parasitol. 34: 1001–1027

Smirnov A. V., Nassonova E. S., Chao E., Cavalier-Smith T. (2007) Phylogeny, evolution and taxonomy of vannellid amoebae. Protist 158: 295–325

Smirnov A. V., Chao E., Nassonova E. S., Cavalier-Smith T. (2011) A revised classification of naked lobose amoebae (Amoebozoa: Lobosa). Protist 162: 545–570

Thompson J. D., Gibson T. J., Plewniak F., Jeanmougin F., Higgins D. G. (1997) The ClustalX windows interface: flexible strategies for multiple sequence alignment aided by quality analysis tools. Nucleic Acids Res. 24: 4876–4882

Trabelsi H., Dendana F., Sellami A., Sellami H., Cheikhrouhou F., Neji S., Makni F., Ayadi A. (2012) Pathogenic free-living amoebae: epidemiology and clinical review. Pathol. Biol. 60: 399–405

Visvesvara G. S., Moura H., Schuster F. L. (2007) Pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amoebae: Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, and Sappinia diploidea. FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 50: 1–26

Walochnik J., Wylezich C., Michel R. (2010) Sappinia sp.: History, phylogeny and medical relevance. Exp. Parasitol. 126: 4–13

Wylezich C., Walochnik J., Michel R. (2009) High genetic diversity of Sappinia-like strains (Amoebozoa, Thecamoebidae) revealed by SSU rRNA investigations. Parasitol. Res. 105: 869–873

Information

Information: Acta Protozoologica, 2015, Volume 54, Issue 1, pp. 45 - 51

Article type: Original article

Authors

Department of General Ecology, Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Germany; present address: Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany

Research Group Protozoology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Molecular Systematics Group, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Soil Science, St-Petersburg State University, St-Petersburg, Russia

Central Institute of the Federal Armed Forces Medical Services, Koblenz, Germany

CHLAREAS – Chlamydia Research Association, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Molecular Parasitology, Institute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Published at: 31.10.2014

Received at: 15.01.2014

Accepted at: 14.04.2014

Article status: Open

Licence: None

Percentage share of authors:

Claudia Wylezich (Author) - 20%
Alexander Kudryavtsev (Author) - 20%
Rolf Michel (Author) - 20%
Daniele Corsaro (Author) - 20%
Julia Walochnik (Author) - 20%

Article corrections:

-

Publication languages:

English