Amoebophilus

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

Amoebophilus
Thallus of Amoebophilus sp. infecting an unidentified amoeba.
Scientific classification
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 developpment 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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