Using ultrastructural cytochemical techniques we have found differences in the distribution of surface coat components between the invasive protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica and the non-invasive Entamoeba dispar. Carbohydrate-containing components and anionic sites in the cell surface of both species were detected by staining with ruthenium red and cationized ferritin, respectively. Ruth...

For over 30 years it has been established that the Entamoeba histolytica protozoan included two biologically and genetically different species, one with a pathogenic phenotype called E. histolytica and the other with a non-pathogenic phenotype called Entamoeba dispar. Both of these amoebae species can infect humans. E. histolytica has been considered as a potential pathogen that can cause serio...

BACKGROUND The level of intra-species genetic variation in Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar and Entamoeba moshkovskii populations in a localized geographic area, like Puducherry, India, remains unknown. METHODS In the present study the existence of genetic variation in the nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (NM-PCR) amplified region of the 16S-like ribosomal RNA genes of E. his...

Peroxiredoxins are an important class of antioxidant enzymes found from Archaea to humans, which reduce and thereby detoxify peroxides and peroxynitrites. The major thiol-containing surface antigen of the invasive ameba, Entamoeba histolytica, is a peroxiredoxin and is likely to be important during the transition from the anaerobic environment of the large intestine to human tissues. The closel...

In Japan, amebiasis is domestically transmitted by two major populations: male homosexuals and mentally handicapped persons, which is remarkably different from most other developed countries where Entamoeba dispar infection is predominantly observed. Here we briefly summarize epidemiology of amebiasis in Japan. We also review our current understanding of the diversity of Entamoeba histolytica c...

Table. Sequencing outcomes for remaining 13 of 15 samples that were negative by PCR for Entamoeba histolytica, E. dispar, and E. moshkovskii and that were not the novel species E. bangladeshi Specimen no. Sequencing outcome 1 97% identity to E. bangladeshi, but insufficient sequence length led to ambiguous assignment, conservatively removed from further analysis 2 No priming upon sequencing 3 N...

We report the first comprehensive analysis of transposable element content in the compact genomes (approximately 20 Mb) of four species of Entamoeba unicellular protozoans for which draft sequences are now available. Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar, two human parasites, have many retrotransposons, but few DNA transposons. In contrast, the reptile parasite Entamoeba invadens and the f...

Detection of Entamoeba histolytica and its differentiation from Entamoeba dispar is an important goal of the clinical parasitology laboratory. The aim of this study was the identification and differentiation of E. histolytica and E. dispar by MALDI-TOF MS, in order to evaluate the application of this technique in routine diagnostic practice. MALDI-TOF MS was applied to 3 amebic reference strain...

Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of human intestinal and liver amebiasis. The extraordinary phagocytic activity of E. histolytica trophozoites has been accepted as one of the virulence mechanisms responsible for their invasive capacity. The recognition of the noninvasive Entamoeba dispar as a different species has raised the question as to whether the lack of pathogenic potential of...