Abstract
In addition to the characteristic development of the rod-shaped or tube-like endocytobionts replicating within the sol-like cytoplasm of acanthamoebae which was published recently (Michel et al. 2003) we observed the strange behavior of the endoparasites described as follows. The material normally forming the characteristic cell walls of KC5/2 organisms was found to form a long array along the borderline between the granuloplasm and the central homogenous sol-like cytoplasm, so that about one third of the sol plasm had already been surrounded. We do not know whether this process belongs to the normal developmental repertoire of the endocytobiont that was interrupted by fixation for electron microscopy, or whether it is an aberrant behavior.
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References
Hoffmann R, Michel R, Müller K-D, Schmid EN (1998) Archaea-like endocytobiotic organisms isolated from Acanthamoeba sp. (Gr II). Endocytobios Cell Res 12:185–188
Michel R, Hoffmann R, Müller K-D, Amann R, Schmid EN (1998) Acanthamoeben, Naeglerien und andere freilebende Amöben als natürliche Dauerproduzenten von nicht kultivierbaren Bakterien. Mitt Österr Ges Tropenmed Parasitol 20:85–92
Michel R, Müller K-D, Schmid E-N Zöller L, Hoffmann R (2003) Endocytobiont KC5/2 induces sol-like cytoplasm of its host Acanthamoeba sp. as substrate for its own development. Parasitol Res 90:52–56
Acknowledgement
The authors thank Gerhild Gmeiner (Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, CIFAFMS, Koblenz) for excellent technical assistance.
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Michel, R., Schmid, E.N., Hoffmann, R. et al. Endoparasite KC5/2 encloses large areas of sol-like cytoplasm within Acanthamoebae. Normal behavior or aberration?. Parasitol Res 91, 265–266 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0944-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0944-0