Open AccessLocomotion and feeding of Acanthamoeba at the water–air interface of ponds
Author(s) -
Preston Terence M,
Richards Hilary,
Wotton Roger S
Publication year - 2001
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.1574-6968.2001.tb09459.x
Subject(s) - aeromonas hydrophila , adhesion , bacteria , protozoa , biology , biophysics , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , organic chemistry
Acanthamoeba trophozoites attach to and effect amoeboid locomotion at the water–air interface of ponds. Their locomotory rate (∼0.8 μm s −1 ) and manner of independent movement at this interface is similar to that over solid substrata. Adhesion forces developed between amoebae and the water–air interface are greater than gravity and thus amoebae are also transported passively without detachment. Amoebae docked with the water–air interface remain and flourish here as they are shown, by using green fluorescent protein‐labelled Aeromonas hydrophila , to feed on bacteria that occur at the interface, digesting them intracellularly.