Amoebophilus

Amoebophilus is a genus of zygomycete fungi that parasitizes amoeba.[2]

Amoebophilus
A freshwater amoeba crawling among debris on a microscope slide that is infected with a species of the fungus Amoebophilus. On the left, the amoeba has several pseudopodia extended. On the right, is a thallus of Amoebophilus that consists of four chains of spores laying in the same plane as the amoeba. The top chain points up and consists of three fully formed spores and one immature spore at the end furthest from the amoeba. The other three chains point toward the right and consist of two or three mature spores and one immature spore at the end of the chain.
Thallus of Amoebophilus sp. infecting an unidentified amoeba.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Subdivision: Zoopagomycotina
Class: Zoopagomycetes
Order: Zoopagales
Family: Cochlonemataceae
Genus: Amoebophilus
Dangeard (1910)
Type species
Amoebophilus penardii
Dangeard (1910)[1]

Morphology

Amoebophilus species are ectoparasites of amoeba. The thallus is composed of an internal haustorium that can be heart-shaped, globose, or lobose. Trailing chains of four or more conidia are produced from the haustorium. Zygospores are spherical at first and become polyhedral with age.[2]

Ecology

Amoebophilus species have been reported from forest and agricultural soils and freshwater ponds where they infect free living amoeba.[2][3][4][5] Infection begins when a conidium comes in contact with an amoeba. The conidium produces a penetration tube to invade the host and form the haustorium. Once the haustorium is formed, the conidium germinates and gives rise to a chain of conidia.[2] Due to difficulties in identifying amoeba, the host ranges of most species are unknown, with the exception of Amoebophilus simplex, which is restricted to species of Mayorella.[4][5]

Taxonomy

Amoebophilus species were first observed by Leidy in 1874 who mistook them as part of the amoeba and used them to describe a new genus. In 1902, Penard pointed out that the filaments observed by Leidy were in fact a parasite.[4] The genus was formerly erected by Dangeard in 1910 based on parasitized individuals of Pelomyxa vorax; he named the species after Penard.[2]

Species
  • Amoebophilus penardii Dangeard
  • Amoebophilus caudatus Dangeard
  • Amoebophilus korotneffii Dangeard
  • Amoebophilus sicyosporus Drechsler
  • Amoebophilus dangeardii Miura
  • Amoebophilus simplex Barron

References
  1. Dangeard, P.A. (1910). "Estudies sur les développement des organisms infereurs. I. Les Amibes". Le Botaniste. 11: 4–57.
  2. Barron, G.L. (1983). "A new Amoebophilus (Zygomycetes) ectoparasitic on amoebae". Canadian Journal of Botany. 61: 3091–3094. doi:10.1139/b83-347.
  3. Drechsler, C. (1959). "Some conidial Phycomycetes destructive to terricolous amoebae". Mycologia. 51: 787–823. doi:10.1080/00275514.1959.12024861.
  4. Mrva, Martin (2008). "Infection of Mayorella penardi (Gymnamoebia) in oak-hornbeam forest soil by the ectoparasitic fungus Amoebophilus simplex (Zygomycota)". European Journal of Soil Biology. 44: 80–83. doi:10.1016/j.ejsobi.2007.05.005.
  5. Mrva, Martin (2011). "Mayorella vespertiloides Page, 1983 (Amoebazoa)--a new host for the ectoparasitic fungusAmoebophilus simplex (Zygomycota)". Biologia. 66: 645–647. doi:10.2478/s11756-011-0064-8.
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