Open AccessTrypanosoma cruzi : single cell live imaging inside infected tissues
Author(s) -
Ferreira Bianca Lima,
Orikaza Cristina Mary,
Cordero Esteban Mauricio,
Mortara Renato Arruda
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1111/cmi.12553
Subject(s) - trypanosoma cruzi , biology , amastigote , parasite hosting , chagas disease , live cell imaging , ex vivo , in vivo , trypanosoma , microbiology and biotechnology , confocal , confocal microscopy , cell , virology , leishmania , genetics , geometry , mathematics , world wide web , computer science
Summary Although imaging the live Trypanosoma cruzi parasite is a routine technique in most laboratories, identification of the parasite in infected tissues and organs has been hindered by their intrinsic opaque nature. We describe a simple method for in vivo observation of live single‐cell Trypanosoma cruzi parasites inside mammalian host tissues. BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice infected with DsRed‐CL or GFP‐G trypomastigotes had their organs removed and sectioned with surgical blades. Ex vivo organ sections were observed under confocal microscopy. For the first time, this procedure enabled imaging of individual amastigotes, intermediate forms and motile trypomastigotes within infected tissues of mammalian hosts.