First Evidence for Diploidy and Genetic Recombination in Free-Living Amoebae of the Genus Naegleria on the Basis of Electrophoretic Variation

Abstract

Electrophoretic variation for 15 enzyme-coding genes was studied in various Naegleria (Rhizopoda, Vahlkampfiidae) species. The occurrence of complex banding patterns provided the first evidence of a diploid structure of the genome of these amoebae. The putative loci identified were found not to be linked and the genotypic distribution suggested chromosomal recombination for one species (Naegleria lovaniensis).