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Fine Structure of a New Human Microsporidian, Encephalitozoon hellem , in Culture
Author(s) -
DIDIER PETER J.,
DIDIER ELIZABETH S.,
ORENSTEIN JAN M.,
SHADDUCK JOHN A.
Publication year - 1991
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.1550-7408.1991.tb04824.x
Subject(s) - encephalitozoon cuniculi , biology , microsporidia , microbiology and biotechnology , microsporidiosis , spore , gel electrophoresis , endospore , virology
Encephalitozoon hellem is a new human microsporidian isolated from corneal biopsies and conjunctival scrapings of three AIDS patients and cultured in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon cuniculi display different protein profiles with sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and unique antibody binding patterns with murine antisera against Western blots of each organism. Developmental stages of E. hellem in culture are similar to E. cuniculi. Meronts are 1.3–2.7 μm in diameter, develop within a parasitophorous vacuole adjacent to the vacuolar membrane, divide by binary fission, and contain one or two discrete nuclei. Sporonts measure 2 × 3 μm, separate from the vacuolar membrane, and have a thickened outer membrane. Sporoblasts display a tri‐layered wall and possess the earliest recognized polar filaments. Mature spores measure 1 × 1.5 μm and are more electron‐dense than other stages. Each spore contains a single nucleus, a polar tubule with four to nine coils, thin electron‐dense exospore and thick, electron‐lucent endospore. Although E. hellem and E. cuniculi differ biochemically and immunologically, their fine structure and development are indistinguishable.