Chromosome size polymorphisms in the genus Acanthamoeba electrokaryotype by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Twenty-eight strains from 12 species from the genus Acanthamoeba, including five isolates from amoebic keratitis patients, were subjected to molecular karyotyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. 9 to 21 chromosome-sized DNA bands ranging from 200 kb to 3 Mb in size were detected. Molecular kary otypes also showed a wide multifariousness, i.e. there existed inter- and i ntraspecific heterogeneity. The five isolates from amoebic keratitis patien ts did not exhibit characteristic molecular karyotypes distinguishable from environmental isolates. Although karyotypic heterogeneity was observed wit hin group I amoeba, they are distinguishable from those of group II and III . Strains having identical restriction fragment length polymorphism profile s of mtDNA did not have an identical molecular karyotype, i.e. weak correla tion was found between molecular karyotypes and mtDNA restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles.