Study of Molecular Karyotypes in Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum,the Endotrophic Parasite of Chlorophycean alga Scenedesmus

On the basis of the pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) technique, molecular karyotypes in Amoeboaphelidiumprotococcarum (the endotrophic parasite of chlorophycean algae, whichcombines protozoon- and fungus-type characters) were determined. Molecularkaryotypes in the strains X1, X5, and X31, which differ in the host range andoriginate from Western, Central, and Eastern Euro-Asia respectively,demonstrate the intrageneric polymorphism-from 7 to 13 chDNA bands-with theestimated molecular size of 0.3-2.2 Mb were resolved, and the genome sizewas determined to be between 7.4 and 10.2 Mb. The molecular karyotype patternin A. protococcarum is different from that in Protozoa. The low-gradedistinction in molecular karyotypes between X1 and X5, on one hand, andhigh-grade distinction between X1/X5 and X31, on the other hand, makes itpossible to place X31 in a separate taxon.