Faculty: Department of Molecular Genetics: Ohio State University:

Gregory Booton

388 Aronoff Laboratory
318 W 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-4570
Email/web:
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Focus

Evolution and pathogenic potential of free-living ameba of the genera Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia.

Research interests

Acanthamoeba is a ubiquitous protist taxon found in a wide range of natural environments. However, isolates of this genus also are capable of producing opportunistic infections in humans and a variety of other animals, some of which are fatal. For more than a decade we have sought to determine the phylogenetic relationships between both pathogenic and non-pathogenic isolates of this genus in an effort to resolve the confusing taxonomy based of morphological characters. Morphological characters can be quite variable, and therefore are often unreliable as a robust method to identify an isolate. Our determination of Acanthamoeba genotypes based on ribosomal RNA gene sequencing has greatly improved isolate identification for researchers worldwide. We have established that particular Acanthamoeba genotypes are involved in different disease manifestations and further that some genotypes have not been found to be associated with disease at all. We are also interested in examining the genetic variability of protein-coding genes of Acanthamoeba genotypes that may potentially be involved in pathogenicity, and any correlation between this genotype variability and relative pathogenicity. Lastly, we are interested in the role that bacterial endosymbionts found in Acanthamoeba may play in the pathogenicity of this genus. In addition, we have also more recently become involved in the study of the protistan genus Balamuthia, which has only very rarely been isolated from the environment. However, numerous isolates have been found in fatal cases of granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) in humans and other animals. We are interested in the evolutionary history, genetic variability, and natural distribution of this organism. Research is currently underway in all of these areas of study in our lab.