Balamuthia mandrillaris: the multiple nuclei of Balamuthia amebas; their location, activity, and site of development.
Multiple nuclei were first noted in the pseudopodia of Balamuthia mandrillaris amebas feeding on mammalian cells. Phase microscope observations of live amebas in vitro reveal that while many amebas have a single nucleus, others have multiple nuclear-like structures, now confirmed as nuclei with hematoxylin and Feulgen stains. In the live cultures, two nuclei located near the tip of an extended pseudopodium were seen to fuse resulting in one larger morphologic unit. Such merging of nuclei has not been previously reported. Other nuclei were located at positions that subsequently became the site for the outgrowth of an additional pseudopod branch. A newly discovered large structure, a polyploid nucleus, was located in the mid-part of the ameba. Nucleoli of uniform size were seen to develop from the central mass of chromatin and each became surrounded by a vesicular component as they moved into the protoplasm as morphologically complete nuclei.
Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA 94804-6403, USA. dunnebacke@gmail.com
Thelma H
TH
Dunnebacke
D056894:Amoebozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008938:Mitosis; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes
C007722:Feulgen stain; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes