Abstract
Acanthamoeba is a free-living protist pathogen, capable of causing a blinding keratitis and fatal granulomatous encephalitis. The factors that contribute to Acanthamoeba infections include parasite biology, genetic diversity, environmental spread and host susceptibility, and are highlighted together with potential therapeutic and preventative measures. The use of Acanthamoeba in the study of cellular differentiation mechanisms, motility and phagocytosis, bacterial pathogenesis and evolutionary processes makes it an attractive model organism. There is a significant emphasis on Acanthamoeba as a Trojan horse of other microbes including viral, bacterial, protists and yeast pathogens.
Highlights
Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic protist that is ubiquitously distributed in the environment
Acanthamoeba has two stages in its life cycle, an active trophozoite stage that exhibits vegetative growth and a dormant cyst stage with minimal metabolic activity. It is a causative agent of cutaneous lesions and sinus infections, visionthreatening keratitis and a rare but fatal encephalitis, known as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis [1,2,3]
More than 90% of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) cases have been linked with this genotype
Summary
Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic protist that is ubiquitously distributed in the environment. The ability of Acanthamoeba to (i) produce serious human infections associated with a rise in the number of immunocompromised patients and contact lens wearers, (ii) their potential role in ecosystems, (iii) ability to act as a host/reservoir for microbial pathogens, and (iv) model organism for motility studies has led to a significant interest in this organism over the years (Figure 1). Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) showed involvement in Acanthamoeba recognition and exerting an effect through adaptor protein, Myeloid differentiation primary response 88 that led to the activation of transcription factors, nuclear factor-kappa B signalling through extracellular signalregulated kinases (ERKs) inducing the secretion of cytokines including interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factoralpha and interferon-beta in human corneal cells [67]. With the remarkable implications of parasite-parasite interactions, which may contribute to the evolution of one (either bacteria or Acanthamoeba) or both parasites to become successful human and animal pathogens and transmission of microbial pathogens in the environment, this area of research is of particular significance
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