Summary
The flagellum of the trypanosomatid flagellate Crithidia fasciculata expands asymmetrically as it emerges from the reservoir. Where the flagellar memhrane approaches the membrane lining the reservoir, desmosomes are found. These structures are arranged in several slightly curved lines and have many features in common with vertebrate desmosomes.
In cultures, the flagellates stick to each other by their flagella and form rosettes. In these bundles of cells, probable sites of adhesion between flagella, or between flagella and pieces of debris, are marked by a dense filamentous tract which passes posteriorly along the flagellum and by a thick band lying just below the flagellar membrane. It is suggested that similar adhesions are found in the insect host where the flagellate attaches itself to the gut wall.
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Brooker, B.E. Desmosomes and hemidesmosomes in the flagellate Crithidia fasciculata . Z. Zellforsch. 105, 155–166 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335467
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335467