Open AccessInteractions of some common pathogenic bacteria with Acanthamoeba polyphaga
Author(s) -
Huws Sharon A.,
Morley Robert J.,
Jones Martin V.,
Brown Michael R. W.,
Smith Anthony W.
Publication year - 2008
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.1574-6968.2008.01123.x
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , acanthamoeba , listeria monocytogenes , salmonella enterica , bacteria , protozoa , staphylococcus aureus , enterococcus faecalis , bacillus cereus , salmonella , genetics
Protozoan grazing is a major trophic pathway whereby the biomass re‐enters the food web. Nonetheless, not all bacteria are digested by protozoa and the number known to evade digestion, resulting in their environmental augmentation, is increasing. We investigated the interactions of Bacillus cereus , Enterococcus faecalis , Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), Listeria monocytogenes , Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and methicillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), with the amoeba, Acanthamoeba polyphaga . There was evidence of predation of all bacterial species except L. monocytogenes and S. aureus , where extracellular numbers were significantly higher when cultured with amoebae compared with growth in the absence of amoebae. Intracellular growth kinetic experiments and fluorescent confocal microscopy suggest that S. aureus survived and may even multiply within A. polyphaga , whereas there was no apparent intra‐amoebal replication of L. monocytogenes and higher numbers were likely sustained on metabolic waste products released during coculture.