Encystment of Free-Living Amoebae, So Many Blind Spots to Cover

Abstract

Due to frequent variations in environmental conditions, free-living amoebae adapt through differentiation into different states. Hence, favorable conditions enable the formation of a feeding and proliferative form named “Trophozoïte” whereas unfavorable situations drive differentiation into resting and resistant single forms such as cysts, spores, or multicellular structures. Transformation into cyst, named “encystment” or “encystation”, is a common feature found in testate, naked, or flagellated free-living amoebae. Although much effort has been made to understand encystment, several blind spots are still present. This short opinion paper highlights some difficulties impeding a better understanding of encystment.