Morphological, physiological and genetic characteristics of protozoa of genus Acanthamoeba, isolated from different deposit of bentonite in Ukraine

The representatives of genus Acanthamoeba are widespread in the environment. The presence of freeliving Acanthamoeba sp. in such mineral deposits as bentonite was shown for the first time. Identification of isolated amoeba was conducted according to morphological features of trophozoites and cysts, as well as using sequencing of gene 18S RNA (amplifier GTSA.B1). The obtained data showed that isolated amoebae belong to the genotype T4 and II morphological group (cyst size <18 mum). For its growth, "bentonite" amoebae are intensively used bacteria of the genus Cellulosimicrobium sp. as a food substrate.