Diversity of free-living ‘naked’ amoeboid organisms |
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Authors: | SG Bradley F Marciano-Cabral |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1112 East Clay Street, Room 110A, 23298-0678 Richmond, Virginia, USA |
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Abstract: | Amoeboid organisms are phylogenetically diverse, some being more closely related to plants or metazoans than to each other. Amoeboid organisms are ecologically successful, having been isolated on all continents, including Antarctica, as well as being the main predators controlling bacterial populations in soil. The classification of these organisms has historically relied upon morphological characteristics. The application of electron microscopy, comparison of enzymic profiles after electrophoretic separation, and analysis of nucleic acid fractions have provided reliable bases for classifying amoeboid organisms. The extent of diversity of these organisms has been recognized, as methods to detect, culture, characterize and identify them has increased. It is reasonable to anticipate that the current 40 000 species of protists will increase substantially as amoeboid organisms are cultivated from poorly accessible niches and from extreme environs. |
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Keywords: | free-living amoebae biological diversity molecular systematics ecology of amoebae amoebae as predators and prey ecology of amoebae phylogeny of amoebae |
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