Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 7, 2026

Protacanthamoeba

Protacanthamoeba is a genus of free-living naked amoebae of the family Acanthamoebidae described in 1981. It has been found in associations with mycobacteria in drinking water networks, along with other Acanthamoebidae genera, likely allowing the replication of both environmental and pathogenic mycobacteria.

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Jun 7, 2026
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Protacanthamoeba
P. bohemica trophozoites and cysts
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Phylum: Amoebozoa
Class: Discosea
Order: Centramoebida
Family: Acanthamoebidae
Genus: Protacanthamoeba
Page, 1981
Type species
Protacanthamoeba caledonica
Page, 1981
Species

Protacanthamoeba is a genus of free-living naked amoebae of the family Acanthamoebidae described in 1981.1 It has been found in associations with mycobacteria in drinking water networks, along with other Acanthamoebidae genera, likely allowing the replication of both environmental and pathogenic mycobacteria.2

Morphology

Members of Protacanthamoeba are characterized by having slender, flexible and sometimes furcate subpseudopodia originated from a broad, hyaline lobose pseudopodium, as well as having centrospheres in its interior, including a plaque-shaped centriole-like body. Their cysts lack preformed pores or opercula.3

Taxonomy

Protacanthamoeba contains 3 species:

References

References

  1. Tice AK, Shadwick LL, Fiore-Donno AM, et al. (2016). "Expansion of the molecular and morphological diversity of Acanthamoebidae (Centramoebida, Amoebozoa) and identification of a novel life cycle type within the group". Biol Direct. 11 (1) 69. doi:10.1186/s13062-016-0171-0. PMC 5192571. PMID 28031045. S2CID 255980669.
  2. Delafont, Vincent; Mougari, Faïza; Cambau, Emmanuelle; Joyeux, Michel; Bouchon, Didier; Héchard, Yann; Moulin, Laurent (2014). "First Evidence of Amoebae–Mycobacteria Association in Drinking Water Network". Environ. Sci. Technol. 48 (20): 11872–11882. Bibcode:2014EnST...4811872D. doi:10.1021/es5036255. PMID 25247827.
  3. Page, Frederick C. (1981). "A Light- and Electron-Microscopical Study of Protacanthamoeba caledonica n. sp., Type-Species of Protacanthamoeba n. g. (Amoebida, Acanthamoebidae)". Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 28 (1): 70–78. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.1981.tb02807.x.
  4. Dykova I, Veverkova-Fialova M, Fiala I, Dvorakova H (2005). "Protoacanthamoeba bohemica sp. n., isolated from the liver of tench Tinca tinca (Linnaeus, 1758)". Acta Protozool. 44: 369–376.