• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2016

Encystation is an essential process for Acanthamoeba survival under nutrient-limiting conditions and exposure to drugs. The expression of several genes has been observed to increase or decrease during encystation. Epigenetic processes involved in regulation of gene expression have been shown to play a role in several pathogenic parasites. In the present study, we identified the protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), a known epigenetic regulator, in Acanthamoeba castellanii. PRMT5 of A. castellanii (AcPRMT5) contained domains found in S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases and in PRMT5 arginine-N-methyltransferase. Expression levels of AcPRMT5 were increased during encystation of A. castellanii. The EGFP-PRMT5 fusion protein was mainly localized in the nucleus of trophozoites. A. castellanii transfected with siRNA designed against AcPRMT5 failed to form mature cysts. The findings of this study lead to a better understanding of epigenetic mechanisms behind the regulation of encystation in cyst-forming pathogenic protozoa.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.131-135
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• 2014

Acanthamoeba cysts are resistant to unfavorable physiological conditions and various disinfectants. Acanthamoeba cysts have 2 walls containing various sugar moieties, and in particular, one third of the inner wall is composed of cellulose. In this study, it has been shown that down-regulation of cellulose synthase by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly inhibits the formation of mature Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts. Calcofluor white staining and transmission electron microscopy revealed that siRNA transfected amoeba failed to form an inner wall during encystation and thus are likely to be more vulnerable. In addition, the expression of xylose isomerase, which is involved in cyst wall formation, was not altered in cellulose synthase down-regulated amoeba, indicating that cellulose synthase is a crucial factor for inner wall formation by Acanthamoeba during encystation.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Vermamoeba vermiformis is a very important free-living amoeba for human health in association with Legionnaires' disease and keratitis. This interesting amoeba was firstly isolated from a freshwater of Dokdo (island), which was historically used for drinking water. Trophozoites and cyst forms of V. vermiformis strain MG1 are very similar to previous reported species. Trophozoites of V. vermiformis strain MG1 showed cylindrical shape with prominent anterior hyaline region. The average ratio of length and width was about 6.5. Typically, cysts of the strain MG1 showed a spherical or slightly ovoidal shape with smooth wall, and lacked cyst pores. Some cysts had crenulate-walled ectocyst, which was separated from endocyst wall. Further, 18S rRNA gene sequence of V. vermiformis strain MG1 showed very high similarity to other V. vermiformis species (99.4%-99.9% identity). Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequences clearly confirmed that the isolate was one strain of V. vermiformis with maximum bootstrap value (maximum likelihood: 100%) and Bayesian posterior probability of 1. Thus, the freshwater of Dokdo in Korea could harbor potentially pathogenic amoeba that may cause diseases in humans.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 1996

Concerned to the Ichthyophthiriasis of aquacultural fishes, the developmental features of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis were studied in cultured Korean catfish, Silurus asotus, and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. In the morphological observation, the parasite developed on two kinds of parasitic and non-parasitic phases with 6 developmental stages termed phoront, trophont, protomont, tomont, tomite, and therone. The $60{\times}40-100{\times}70{\mu}m$ fusiform or spherical phoront for the invading stage has 34-38 meridional kineties and begins to develope buccal apparatus. The 80-$800{\mu}m$ spherical or amoeboid trophont for the vegetative stage has a horseshoe shape macronucleus, a inconspicuous cytostome and developmental contractile vacuoles. The 200-$800{\mu}m$ spherical protomont for the encysting stage has a inconspicuous macronucleus, abundant contractile vacuoles; and a fine gelatinous exocyst is exuded, the baccal apparatus begins to resorb. The tomont for the encysted dividing stage has a thick cyst wall, and the buccal apparatus is resorbed completely. A small 35-$50{\mu}m$ spherical tomite for each daughter cell has a cytostome end the conspicuous oral apparatus. The $25{\times}20-60{\times}40{\mu}m$ fusiform theront for the infective stage possesses a perforatorium in the anterior end, a cytostome in the mid-point respectively and has 34-38 meridional kineties. In the experiments of the reproductive, the excysted time is related to water temperature. Tomitogenesis takes 10-14 hours at $28^{\circ}C$, 12-15 hours at $26^{\circ}C$, 16-18 hours at $22^{\circ}C$, 24-28 hour at $18^{\circ}C$, 26-51 hours at $14^{\circ}C$, and 129 hours at $9^{\circ}C$ respectively.