Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Author Spotlight: Understanding the Propagation of Closed Circular Extrachromosomal rDNA Containing Element (CERE) in Naegleria gruberi
Published on: June 21, 2024
The extrachromosomal elements of the Naegleria genus: How little we know
B T Nguyen1, N M Chapman2, S Tracy2
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
Abstract:
There are currently 47 characterized species in the Naegleria genus of free-living amoebae. Each amoeba has thousands of extrachromosomal elements that are closed circular structures comprised of a single ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy and a large non-rDNA sequence. Despite the presence of putative open reading frames and introns, ribosomal RNA is the only established transcript. A single origin of DNA replication (ori) has been mapped within the non-rDNA sequence for one species (N. gruberi), a finding that strongly indicates that these episomes replicate independently of the cell's chromosomal DNA component. This article reviews that which has been published about these interesting DNA elements and by analyzing available sequence data, discusses the possibility that different phylogenetically related clusters of Naegleria species individually conserve ori structures and suggests where the rRNA promoter and termination sites may be located.
Related Concept Videos
Diversity of Protists I
Diversity of Protists II
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Bacterial Phylum Chlamydiae
Diversity of Protists III
Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes

