Stress-Induced Pseudocyst Formation - A Newly Identified Mechanism of Protection against Organic Solvents in Acanthamoebae of the T4 Genotype

Abstract

Here, we present a comparative analysis of normal encystment and differentiation under low concentrations of common organic solvents. The results demonstrate that Acanthamoeba trophozoites exposed to methanol,DMSO or acetone in vitro promptly transform into non-motile cyst-like forms, or pseudocysts, which differ from normal cysts.

Our findings could be of particular importance because of the possibility that pseudocysts might form in response to certain cleaning/disinfecting solutions for contact lenses.

Keywords

• Acanthamoeba
• pseudocyst
• cyst
• differentiation
• stress
• organic solvents
• DMSO
• methanol