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Endosymbiotic bacterium Protochlamydia can survive in acanthamoebae following encystation
Author(s) -
Nakamura Shinji,
Matsuo Junji,
Hayashi Yasuhiro,
Kawaguchi Kouhei,
Yoshida Mitsutaka,
Takahashi Kaori,
Mizutani Yoshihiko,
Yao Takashi,
Yamaguchi Hiroyuki
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
environmental microbiology reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.229
H-Index - 69
ISSN - 1758-2229
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-2229.2010.00182.x
Subject(s) - biology , chlamydiae , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , amoeba (genus) , acanthamoeba , protozoa , obligate , polymerase chain reaction , intracellular parasite , gene , genetics , ecology
Summary Obligate intracellular bacteria are commonly seen as endosymbionts of acanthamoebae. However, whether endosymbionts can survive amoebal encystations remains a significant challenge in cellular biology. The survival of the endosymbiotic bacteria Protochlamydia belonging to environmental chlamydiae found in an amoebal isolate that we have previously reported (Environmental Microbiology Reports, DOI: 10.1111/j.1758‐2229.2009.00094.x, 2009) following encystation was therefore assessed. The bacteria were observed in cysts and trophozoites reverted from cysts by analysis with transmission electron microscope, and the bacterial 16S rRNA transcripts were detected in amoeba cultures following encystations by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method. Furthermore, the bacterial growth was also confirmed, by fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis and the AIU assay that we have previously established (Applied Environmental Microbiology, 74: 6397‐6404, 2008), in trophozoites reverted from cysts stored at 4°C for up to a month after encystation. Thus, these results demonstrated that Protochlamydia could survive in acanthamoebae following encystation. Our findings suggest that amoeba cysts might be further studied in order to understand their role in the environmental survival of endosymbionts.