Papers in the Biological Sciences
Date of this Version
8-1974
Abstract
The ultrastructure of Herpetomonas megaseliae Daggett, Dollahon, and Janovy, 1972, culture forms has been described in detail by Janovy et aI. (1974, J. Prot. 21: 53-59). Pellicular microtubules were described in pro- and opisthomastigotes as parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body and to the axis of the flagellar pocket. Microtubules lay in an electron translucent zone directly beneath the limiting membrane, and the flagellar pocket opened at the anterior end.
Unpublished studies in this laboratory have indicated that Herpetomonas megaseliae and a number of other "lower" trypanosomatid parasites are capable of transforming into amastigotelike forms upon phagocytosis by murine macrophages in vitro. This note describes general architectural alterations and pellicular microtubule rearrangements associated with this transformation in Herpetomonas megaseliae, and compares the observed alterations with those occurring in Leishmania donovani under identical conditions in this laboratory.
Comments
Published in the Journal of Parasitology (August 1974) 60(4): 716-718. Copyright 1974, the American Society of Parasitologists. Used by permission.