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Trypanosoma cruzi : Interaction with Vertebrate Cells. DNA Synthesis and Growth of Intracellular Amastigotes and their Relationship to Host Cell DNA Synthesis and Growth
Author(s) -
CRANE MARK ST. J.,
DVORAK JAMES A.
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.tb04203.x
Subject(s) - amastigote , trypanosoma cruzi , biology , dna synthesis , intracellular , cell division , microbiology and biotechnology , dna , cell cycle , cell growth , intracellular parasite , dna replication , cell , parasite hosting , genetics , leishmania , world wide web , computer science
SYNOPSIS DNA synthesis of intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes, following the infection of bovine embryo skeletal muscle (BESM) cells, was studied by autoradiography. After penetration, there was a prereplicative lag period (∼12 h) followed by a synchronous round of DNA synthesis which was found to be independent of parasite number/BESM cell and the host cell DNA synthesis cycle. Parasite reproduction occurred, for the first time, at ∼ 21 h postinfection. It was concluded that T. cruzi trypomastigotes are in the G 1 /G, phase of their cell division cycle and that after penetration parasite reproduction occurs independent of events controlling host cell DNA synthesis and growth. The early synchronous growth of intracellular amastigotes should facilitate further studies on the biochemical events controlling trypomastigote‐to‐amastigote transformation and amastigote reproduction. A further application is envisaged for studies on the mode of action of drugs with trypanocidal activity.