Open AccessIdentification of Naegleria fowleri and other Naegleria spp. (free‐living amoebae) using cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis of glucose phosphate isomerase
Author(s) -
Kilvington Simon
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1995.tb07888.x
Subject(s) - naegleria , naegleria fowleri , axenic , biochemistry , cellulose acetate , biology , acanthamoeba , electrophoresis , microbiology and biotechnology , triosephosphate isomerase , protozoa , chemistry , cellulose , enzyme , bacteria , genetics , immunology , meningoencephalitis
A simple isoenzyme cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis method with respect to glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) was developed for the differentiation of the human pathogenic free‐living amoeba Naegleria fowleri from other Naegleria spp. A single GPI band was detected in all the species tested, the relative mobility of which could be used to identify N. fowleri . Of the other Naegleria spp., only N. italica and N. jadini shared a common GPI mobility. No intraspecies variation in GPI profile was detected, regardless of whether the strains were cultured in monoxenic or axenic media. The technique is proposed as a useful means of identifying N. fowleri soon after isolation from the environment.