Open AccessEarly events related with the behaviour of Trypanosoma cruzi within an endocytic vacuole in mouse peritoneal macrophages.
Author(s) -
Técia Maria Ulisses de Carvalho,
Wanderley de Souza
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
cell structure and function
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.151
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1347-3700
pISSN - 0386-7196
DOI - 10.1247/csf.14.383
Subject(s) - vacuole , trypanosoma cruzi , endocytic cycle , acridine orange , acid phosphatase , microbiology and biotechnology , lysosome , amastigote , phagosome , biology , endocytosis , chemistry , biochemistry , cell , cytoplasm , phagocytosis , parasite hosting , enzyme , apoptosis , world wide web , computer science , leishmania
Transmission electron microscopy was used to analyse the process of interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with resident and activated mouse peritoneal macrophages. Initially, the parasites are located within a membrane-bounded endocytic vacuole. Lysosomes from the host cell fuse and discharge their content into the parasite-containing vacuole, as visualized by localization of horseradish peroxidase and acid phosphatase activity. Acridine orange was used to label secondary lysosomes in order to quantify the process of lysosome-phagosome fusion by fluorescence microscopy. The fusion index was higher for amastigote than for epimastigote and trypomastigote forms. Images were obtained showing that a few hours after ingestion of trypomastigote forms by the macrophages there is progressive disruption of the membrane lining the vacuole, until its complete disappearance.