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Freeze‐Fracture Study of Malaria Sporozoites: Antibody‐Induced Changes of the Pellicular Membrane *
Author(s) -
AIKAWA MASAMICHI,
COCHRANE ALAN H.,
NUSSENZWEIG RUTH S.,
RABBEGE JOHN
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1979.tb02779.x
Subject(s) - plasmodium knowlesi , parasite hosting , membrane , plasmodium berghei , biology , immune system , antibody , electron microscope , intramembranous ossification , malaria , microbiology and biotechnology , plasmodium (life cycle) , biophysics , virology , immunology , biochemistry , plasmodium falciparum , plasmodium vivax , physics , world wide web , computer science , optics
SYNOPSIS Plasmodium cynomolgi, Plasmodium knowlesi , and Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, before and after incubation with immune serum, were studied after freeze‐fracture by electron microscopy. There were evenly distributed numerous intramembranous particles (IMP) on the P face of the outer membrane. The E face of the plasma membrane had fewer IMP than its P face. The E face of the intermediate membrane had few IMP and also linear arrays of slightly raised ridges running the length of the parasite. The P face of the intermediate membrane had many IMP aligned along the long axis of the sporozoite. On the P face of the inner membrane. IMP were arranged in very distinct rows conforming to the long axis of the parasite; the E face of this membrane had a few randomly distributed IMP. A prominent change in the sporozoite incubated in immune serum was the appearance of a layer of aggregated particles around the parasite. The P face of the plasma membrane had several clear areas devoid of IMP and IMP aggregates. No changes were seen in the other fractured faces of the pellicle. These observations suggest that immune serum acts only on the P face of the plasma membrane.