Abstract
Vermamoeba vermiformis is a predominant free-living amoeba in human environments and amongst the most common amoebae that can cause severe infections in humans. It is a niche for numerous amoeba-resisting microorganisms such as bacteria and giant viruses. Differences in the susceptibility to these giant viruses have been observed. V. vermiformis and amoeba-resisting microorganisms share a sympatric lifestyle that can promote exchanges of genetic material. This work analyzed the first draft genome sequence of a V. vermiformis strain (CDC-19) through comparative genomic, transcriptomic and phylogenetic analyses. The genome of V. vermiformis is 59.5 megabase pairs in size, and 22,483 genes were predicted. A high proportion (10% (n = 2,295)) of putative genes encoded proteins showed the highest sequence homology with a bacterial sequence. The expression of these genes was demonstrated for some bacterial homologous genes. In addition, for 30 genes, we detected best BLAST hits with members of the Candidate Phyla Radiation. Moreover, 185 genes (0.8%) best matched with giant viruses, mostly those related to the subfamily Klosneuvirinae (101 genes), in particular Bodo saltans virus (69 genes). Lateral sequence transfers between V. vermiformis and amoeba-resisting microorganisms were strengthened by Sanger sequencing, transcriptomic and phylogenetic analyses. This work provides important insights and genetic data for further studies about this amoeba and its interactions with microorganisms.