Evidence for Bacteriophages within Gram-negative Cocci-Obligate Endoparasitic Bacteria of Naegleria sp.

Gram-negative cocci observed as endocytobionts within the cytoplasm of a Naegleria strain isolated from a garden pond harboured small hexagonal particles of about 70 nm identified as bacteriophages called ”Neo-Ph/2”. These phages resembled the recently described phages; strain ”Neo-Ph/1” observed for the first time within the Chlamydia-like endocytobiont Neochlamydia hartmannellae (Parachlamydiaceae) multiplying within Hartmannella vermiformis (Schmid et al. 2001). The possible reasons for this obvious similarity are object for discussion in this article.