A New Thermophilic Heterolobosean Amoeba, Fumarolamoeba ceborucoi, gen. nov., sp. nov., Isolated Near a Fumarole at a Volcano in Mexico

An amoeba was isolated from a soil sample collected at the edge of a fumarole of the volcano Ceboruco in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. The trophozoites of this new isolate have eruptive pseudopodes and do not transform into flagellates. The strain forms cysts that have a double wall. This thermophilic amoeba grows at temperatures up to 50 degree C. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) places the amoeba into the Heterolobosea. The closest relatives are Paravahlkampfia spp. Like some other heterolobosean species, this new isolate has a group I intron in the SSU rDNA. Because of its position in the molecular phylogenetic tree, and because there is no species found in the literature with similar morphological and physiological characteristics, this isolate is described as a new genus and a new species, Fumarolamoeba ceborucoi gen. nov., sp. nov.