THE DIFFERENTIATION OF FREE-LIVING AMEBAS OF THE GENUS MAYORELLA - A BIOCHEMICAL APPROACH

Four populations of free-living amoebae of the Mayorella genus, collec ted from different biotopes, have been studied. Three populations belo nging to Mayorella spumosa species were collected from different Itali an environments. The fourth population was collected in Uganda. Previo usly, morphological differences and different seasonal cycles caused t he Ugandan population to be described as a new species: Mayorella lync aea. A biochemical approach has been used to study the intraspecies va riability of the three Italian populations from the plains, middle mou ntains and high mountains. The similarity index was evaluated by compa ring isoenzymatic patterns. The monthly total protein analysis showed that the three populations have a different seasonal cycle than in the original biotope and that there is a greater similarity between Mayor ella from the plains and middle mountains than between them and the hi gh mountain population.