After cultured cysts are osmotically shocked by treating with distilled water, there is an exponential increase in the cyst form of Blastocystis pythoni; this was demonstrated by an immunofluorescence antibody assay against the culture organisms. In 11-day-old cultures of B. pythoni, 68.8% of the organisms (= 2.2 × 108 cysts/ml) were in the cyst form. Examination of thin sections of cysts revealed many similarities to the cyst forms of Blastocystis obtained from fecal samples in previous investigations. Freeze-fracture images of the plasma membrane of non-cyst cells also revealed a similar distribution of the intramembrane particles (IMP) when compared to non-cysts of B. hominis, while the plasma membrane of the cyst form showed practically no IMP. The size and morphology of particle-rich small depressions and smooth small protrusions observed on the P face and E face of non-cyst cells, respectively, were similar to endocytic sites reported for B. hominis. In the present study glycogen was cytochemically demonstrated at the ultrastructural level by an alkaline bismuth staining method in both cyst and non-cyst cells.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 January 2003
Freeze-Fracture and Cytochemical Studies on the in Vitro Cyst Form of Reptilian Blastocystis pythoni
HISAO YOSHIKAWA,
MINAKO NAGASHIMA,
KEIKO MORIMOTO,
YASUKO YAMANOUTI,
EU HIAN YAP,
MULKIT SINGH
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
It is not available for individual sale.
This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
It is not available for individual sale.
<
Previous Article
|
The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
Vol. 50 • No. 1
January 2003
Vol. 50 • No. 1
January 2003
culture
glycogen
Histochemistry
intramembrane particles
protozoa
ultrastructure