Balamuthia mandrillaris

This student page has not been curated.

Legend. Image credit: Name or Publication.

Classification

Eukaryota; Amoebozoa; Discosea; longamoebia; Balamuthiidae

Species

NCBI: [1]

Balamuthia mandrillaris

Description and Significance

Balamuthia mandrillaris, a free-living amoeba, is the causative agent of the rare yet fatal neurological condition known as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). Discovered in 1986 within the brain of a deceased mandrill at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The pathogen was successfully isolated and studied for the first time in 1993 by Govinda Visvesvara, paying tribute to his mentor William Balamuth for his amoebae research. (Cope et al.,2019)

B. mandrillaris primarily dwells in soil and poses a great threat to human health. This amoeba can invade the human body through open wounds or inhalation, and it has been isolated from soil samples. Believed to be found across temperate regions globally, evidence supporting this includes the detection of antibodies to the protist in the bloodstream of healthy individuals (Schuster et al.,2003).

Genome Structure

The genome of Balamuthia mandrillaris is characterized by its complexity and unique features. B. mandrillaris possesses a relatively large genome with multiple chromosomes. The specific number of chromosomes is not mentioned but it may vary between different strains. The genome is circular, which is a common feature among amoebas. The draft genome highlights the importance of reference genome sequencing for this pathogen, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to assemble a comprehensive and accurate genomic sequence.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.

If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

References

1. Cope, Jennifer R.; Landa, Janet; Nethercut, Hannah; Collier, Sarah A.; Glaser, Carol; Moser, Melanie; Puttagunta, Raghuveer; Yoder, Jonathan S.; Ali, Ibne K.; Roy, Sharon L. (2019-05-17). "The Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Balamuthia mandrillaris Disease in the United States, 1974 – 2016". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 68 (11): 1815–1822. doi:10.1093/cid/ciy813. ISSN 1058-4838. PMC 7453664. PMID 30239654.

2. Frederick L. Schuster; Thelma H. Dunnebacke; Gregory C. Booton; Shigeo Yagi; Candice K. Kohlmeier; Carol Glaser; Duc Vugia; Anna Bakardjiev; Parvin Azimi; Mary Maddux-Gonzalez; A. Julio Martinez; Govinda S. Visvesvara (July 2003). "Environmental Isolation of Balamuthia mandrillaris Associated with a Case of Amebic Encephalitis". J. Clin. Microbiol. 41 (7): 3175–3180. doi:10.1128/JCM.41.7.3175-3180.2003. PMC 165348. PMID 12843060.

3. Greninger, Alexander L.; Messacar, Kevin; Dunnebacke, Thelma; Naccache, Samia N.; Federman, Scot; Bouquet, Jerome; Mirsky, David; Nomura, Yosuke; Yagi, Shigeo; Glaser, Carol; Vollmer, Michael; Press, Craig A.; Kleinschmidt-DeMasters, Bette K.; Dominguez, Samuel R.; Chiu, Charles Y. (2015). "Clinical metagenomic identification of Balamuthia mandrillaris encephalitis and assembly of the draft genome: the continuing case for reference genome sequencing". Genome Medicine. 7 (1): 113. doi:10.1186/s13073-015-0235-2. ISSN 1756-994X. PMC 4665321. PMID 26620704.

Author

Page authored by Bella Readling, student of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.