Fan Shi, Shen Yun, Qian Li
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Front Microbiol. 2024 Jun 19;15:1382075. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1382075. eCollection 2024.
Free-living amoebae (FLA) are prevalent in nature and man-made environments, and they can survive in harsh conditions by forming cysts. Studies have discovered that some FLA species are able to show pathogenicity to human health, leading to severe infections of central nervous systems, eyes, etc. with an extremely low rate of recovery. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a surveillance framework for FLA in environmental habitats. While many studies investigated the risks of independent FLA, interactions between FLA and surrounding microorganisms determined microbial communities in ecosystems and further largely influenced public health. Here we systematically discussed the interactions between FLA and different types of microorganisms and corresponding influences on behaviors and health risks of FLA in the environment. Specifically, bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes can interact with FLA and cause either enhanced or inhibited effects on FLA infectivity, along with microorganism community changes. Therefore, considering the co-existence of FLA and other microorganisms in the environment is of great importance for reducing environmental health risks.
自由生活阿米巴（FLA）在自然和人造环境中普遍存在，它们可以通过形成包囊在恶劣条件下存活。研究发现，一些FLA物种能够对人类健康表现出致病性，导致中枢神经系统、眼睛等严重感染，且康复率极低。因此，必须在环境栖息地建立FLA监测框架。虽然许多研究调查了独立FLA的风险，但FLA与周围微生物之间的相互作用决定了生态系统中的微生物群落，并在很大程度上进一步影响了公众健康。在此，我们系统地讨论了FLA与不同类型微生物之间的相互作用，以及对环境中FLA行为和健康风险的相应影响。具体而言，细菌、病毒和真核生物可以与FLA相互作用，对FLA感染性产生增强或抑制作用，同时伴随着微生物群落的变化。因此，考虑环境中FLA与其他微生物的共存对于降低环境健康风险至关重要。
