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Ultrastructural and cytochemical identification of megasome in Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi

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Abstract

The present work showed the presence of a megasome in Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi amastigotes. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of ultrathin serial sections and three-dimensional reconstruction allowed visualization of large structures in amastigote forms of L. (L.) chagasi and a multivesicular tubule–lysosome structure in metacyclic promastigotes. Morphometric data showed that the relative volume occupied by the megasome and the multivesicular tubule (MVT)–lysosome structures was about 5% and 3.2%, respectively, in amastigotes and promastigotes of L. (L.) chagasi. Further characterization of the megasome in L. (L.) chagasi amastigotes was carried out by immunolabeling of cysteine proteinase, whereas the lysosomal content of amastigotes and promastigotes was confirmed by arylsulfatase cytochemistry.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Simone Katz, Márcia Fujie Araguth Tanakai, Patrícia Cristina Milanez, Renato Lopes, and André Haraguti Aguillera for technical assistance, and Dr. Michel Rabinovitch for sharing reagents for arylsulfatase cytochemistry. This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento, Científico e Tecnológico of Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Microscopia Eletrônica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo–Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Botucatu, 862-Térreo, CEP 04023-062, São Paulo, Brazil

    Sanny O. Alberio, Flávio P. Faria & Edna Freymüller Haapalainen

  2. Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo–Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil

    Suzana S. Dias, Renato A. Mortara & Clara. L. Barbiéri

  3. Departamento de Morfologia e Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Estadual do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil

    Sanny O. Alberio

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  1. Sanny O. Alberio
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  2. Suzana S. Dias
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  3. Flávio P. Faria
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  4. Renato A. Mortara
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  5. Clara. L. Barbiéri
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  6. Edna Freymüller Haapalainen
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Correspondence to Edna Freymüller Haapalainen.

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Alberio, S.O., Dias, S.S., Faria, F.P. et al. Ultrastructural and cytochemical identification of megasome in Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi . Parasitol Res 92, 246–254 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-1027-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-1027-y

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