Biological characterization of a clinical and an environmental isolate of Acanthamoeba polyphaga:: analysis of relevant parameters to decode pathogenicity

Acanthamoeba spp. consists of free-living amoebae, widespread in nature, which occasionally can cause human infections including granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and amoebic keratitis. Acanthamoeba pathogenesis is not entirely known and correlations between pathogenic potential and taxonomy are complex issues. In order to decipher the definition of a pathogenic amoeba, the objective of this work was to decipher the definition of pathogenic amoeba by characterizing two isolates of Acanthamoeba polyphaga obtained from different origins (a keratitis patient and freshwater), looking for differences among them. The clinical isolate grew faster in Peptone-yeast extract-glucose (PYG) medium, transformed more rapidly from a trophozoite to cyst and exhibited increased cytopathic effect on cultured cells. Morphological differences were also noted, since freshwater amoebae presented more acanthopodia than the clinical isolate. Moreover, actin labeling demonstrated that microfilament organization varies between isolates, with the presence of locomotory structures as lobopodia and lamellipodia in the keratitis isolate, which were less adherent on plastic. Zymography demonstrated that the keratitis isolates presented higher proteolytic activity and also were more able to invade collagen matrices. Altogether, we conclude that a group of stable physiological characteristics exist in Acanthamoeba that can be related to pathogenicity.