Identification and quantification of the Acanthamoeba species and genotypes from reservoirs in Taiwan by molecular techniques

Po-Min Kao; Bing-Mu Hsu; Chen-Te Chen; Shih-Wei Huang; Erl-Shyh Kao; Jyh-Larng Chen; Nan-Min Wu; Wen-Tsai Ji

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.12.020

Identification and quantification of the Acanthamoeba species and genotypes from reservoirs in Taiwan by molecular techniques

Acta Trop. 2014 Apr:132:45-50. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.12.020. Epub 2013 Dec 31.

Authors

Po-Min Kao¹, Bing-Mu Hsu², Chen-Te Chen³, Shih-Wei Huang⁴, Erl-Shyh Kao⁵, Jyh-Larng Chen⁶, Nan-Min Wu⁶, Wen-Tsai Ji¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, ROC.
² Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: bmhsu@eq.ccu.edu.tw.
³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Center for General Education, Cheng-Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ Department of Beauty Science and Graduate Institute of Beauty Science Technology, Chienkuo Technology University, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC.
⁶ Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.

PMID: 24388954
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.12.020

Abstract

The occurrence of Acanthamoeba was investigated from 21 main reservoirs of Taiwan with 12 (57.1%) testing positive. Analysis of the 18S rRNA gene PCR product was performed in order to identify the Acanthamoeba isolates. Acanthamoeba spp. concentrations were determined according to TaqMan real-time qPCR. Acanthamoeba genotypes of all isolates were identified T4. The species were categorized to Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, Acanthamoeba polyphaga, Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba hatchetti. The concentration of Acanthamoeba spp. in detected positive reservoir water samples was in the range of 3.0-1.8 × 10(3) cells/L. These results highlight the importance of Acanthamoeba in reservoirs of potential pathogens and its possible role in the spread of bacterial genera with interest in public and environmental health.

Keywords: Acanthamoeba; Acanthamoeba keratitis; PCR; TaqMan real-time qPCR.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acanthamoeba castellanii / classification*
Acanthamoeba castellanii / genetics
Acanthamoeba castellanii / isolation & purification*
DNA, Protozoan / chemistry
DNA, Protozoan / genetics
Genotype
Humans
Molecular Sequence Data
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Taiwan
Water / parasitology*

Substances

DNA, Protozoan
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
Water

Associated data

GENBANK/KF881878
GENBANK/KF881879
GENBANK/KF881880
GENBANK/KF881881
GENBANK/KF881882
GENBANK/KF881883
GENBANK/KF881884
GENBANK/KF881885
GENBANK/KF881886
GENBANK/KF881887
GENBANK/KF881888
GENBANK/KF881889