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Science 24 November 1972:
Vol. 178. no. 4063, pp. 869 - 870
DOI: 10.1126/science.178.4063.869
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Articles

Temperature Tolerance of Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Free-Living Amoebas

Joe L. Griffin 1

1 Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C. 20305

Within tested strains of the genera Naegleria and Acanthamoeba the ability to grow at high temperatures seems directly related to virulence, with nonvirulent strains unable to grow at normal or elevated body temperatures. Outside these genera, nonvirulent Hartmannella and Tetramitus do grow at elevated temperatures, which suggests a barrier to pathogenicity other than temperature sensitivity. The high optimal temperature of pathogenic Naegleria apparently explains previous difficulty in obtaining isolates from the aquatic environment.


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