Acanthamoeba, an environmental phagocyte enhancing survival and transmission of human pathogens

Binod Rayamajhee; Mark D.P. Willcox; Fiona L. Henriquez; Constantinos Petsoglou; Dinesh Subedi; Nicole Carnt

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.007

Acanthamoeba, an environmental phagocyte enhancing survival and transmission of human pathogens

Binod Rayamajhee, Mark D.P. Willcox, Fiona L. Henriquez, Constantinos Petsoglou, Dinesh Subedi, Nicole Carnt

School of Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review

37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The opportunistic protist Acanthamoeba, which interacts with other microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, shows significant similarity in cellular and functional aspects to human macrophages. Intracellular survival of microbes in this microbivorous amoebal host may be a crucial step for initiation of infection in higher eukaryotic cells. Therefore, Acanthamoeba–microbe adaptations are considered an evolutionary model of macrophage–pathogen interactions. This paper reviews Acanthamoeba as an emerging human pathogen and different ecological interactions between Acanthamoeba and microbes that may serve as environmental training grounds and a genetic melting pot for the evolution, persistence, and transmission of potential human pathogens.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	975-990
Number of pages	16
Journal	Trends in Parasitology
Volume	38
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.007
Publication status	Published - Nov 2022

Keywords

evolution
grazing resistance
microbial symbiosis
phagocytosis
predation
virulence factors

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.007

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title = "Acanthamoeba, an environmental phagocyte enhancing survival and transmission of human pathogens",

abstract = "The opportunistic protist Acanthamoeba, which interacts with other microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, shows significant similarity in cellular and functional aspects to human macrophages. Intracellular survival of microbes in this microbivorous amoebal host may be a crucial step for initiation of infection in higher eukaryotic cells. Therefore, Acanthamoeba–microbe adaptations are considered an evolutionary model of macrophage–pathogen interactions. This paper reviews Acanthamoeba as an emerging human pathogen and different ecological interactions between Acanthamoeba and microbes that may serve as environmental training grounds and a genetic melting pot for the evolution, persistence, and transmission of potential human pathogens.",

keywords = "evolution, grazing resistance, microbial symbiosis, phagocytosis, predation, virulence factors",

author = "Binod Rayamajhee and Willcox, {Mark D.P.} and Henriquez, {Fiona L.} and Constantinos Petsoglou and Dinesh Subedi and Nicole Carnt",

note = "Funding Information: We were unable to include all relevant references due to space constraints. We have referenced mainly A. castellanii which is the most used and best-investigated species. The authors apologise to researchers whose works on adaptation of Legionella in Acanthamoeba as a pathogen–amoeba model were discussed briefly and not cited owing to space limitation. B.R. is a recipient of the Tuition Fee Scholarship (UNSW, Sydney, Australia) for his doctoral degree, with which this review was completed. The authors declare no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.007",

language = "English",

volume = "38",

pages = "975--990",

journal = "Trends in Parasitology",

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AU - Rayamajhee, Binod

AU - Willcox, Mark D.P.

AU - Henriquez, Fiona L.

AU - Petsoglou, Constantinos

AU - Subedi, Dinesh

AU - Carnt, Nicole

N1 - Funding Information: We were unable to include all relevant references due to space constraints. We have referenced mainly A. castellanii which is the most used and best-investigated species. The authors apologise to researchers whose works on adaptation of Legionella in Acanthamoeba as a pathogen–amoeba model were discussed briefly and not cited owing to space limitation. B.R. is a recipient of the Tuition Fee Scholarship (UNSW, Sydney, Australia) for his doctoral degree, with which this review was completed. The authors declare no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2022/11

Y1 - 2022/11

N2 - The opportunistic protist Acanthamoeba, which interacts with other microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, shows significant similarity in cellular and functional aspects to human macrophages. Intracellular survival of microbes in this microbivorous amoebal host may be a crucial step for initiation of infection in higher eukaryotic cells. Therefore, Acanthamoeba–microbe adaptations are considered an evolutionary model of macrophage–pathogen interactions. This paper reviews Acanthamoeba as an emerging human pathogen and different ecological interactions between Acanthamoeba and microbes that may serve as environmental training grounds and a genetic melting pot for the evolution, persistence, and transmission of potential human pathogens.

AB - The opportunistic protist Acanthamoeba, which interacts with other microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, shows significant similarity in cellular and functional aspects to human macrophages. Intracellular survival of microbes in this microbivorous amoebal host may be a crucial step for initiation of infection in higher eukaryotic cells. Therefore, Acanthamoeba–microbe adaptations are considered an evolutionary model of macrophage–pathogen interactions. This paper reviews Acanthamoeba as an emerging human pathogen and different ecological interactions between Acanthamoeba and microbes that may serve as environmental training grounds and a genetic melting pot for the evolution, persistence, and transmission of potential human pathogens.

KW - evolution

KW - grazing resistance

KW - microbial symbiosis

KW - phagocytosis

KW - predation

KW - virulence factors

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DO - 10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.007

M3 - Review Article

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AN - SCOPUS:85138037102

SN - 1471-4922

VL - 38

SP - 975

EP - 990

JO - Trends in Parasitology

JF - Trends in Parasitology

IS - 11

ER -

Acanthamoeba, an environmental phagocyte enhancing survival and transmission of human pathogens

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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