Locomotion and feeding of Acanthamoeba at the water–air interface of ponds

Abstract

Acanthamoeba trophozoites attach to and effect amoeboid locomotion at the water^air interface of ponds. Their locomotory rate (V0.8 Wm s 31) and manner of independent movement at this interface is similar to that over solid substrata. Adhesion forces developed between amoebae and the water^air interface are greater than gravity and thus amoebae are also transported passively without detachment. Amoebae docked with the water^air interface remain and flourish here as they are shown, by using green fluorescent protein-labelled Aeromonas hydrophila, to feed on bacteria that occur at the interface, digesting them intracellularly. ß