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Penetration of the Mosquito ( Aedes aegypti ) Midgut Wall by the Ookinetes of Plasmodium gallinaceum
Author(s) -
TORII MOTOMI,
NAKAMURA KEIICHIRO,
SIEBER KLAUS P.,
MILLER LOUIS H.,
AIKAWA MASAMICHI
Publication year - 1992
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.1550-7408.1992.tb04830.x
Subject(s) - midgut , plasmodium gallinaceum , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , aedes aegypti , vacuole , epithelium , basal lamina , cytoplasm , plasmodium (life cycle) , intracellular , organelle , ultrastructure , secretion , parasite hosting , anatomy , immunology , gametocyte , malaria , biochemistry , ecology , plasmodium falciparum , genetics , larva , world wide web , computer science
We observed Plasmodium gallinaceum ookinetes in both intracellular and intercellular positions in the midgut epithelium of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. After epithelial cell invasion intracellular ookinetes lacked a parasitophorous vacuolar membrane and were surrounded solely by their own pellicle. Thus, the ookinete in the midgut epithelium of the mosquito differs from erythrocytic and hepatic stages in that the parasite in the vertebrate host is surrounded by a vacuole. The midgut epithelial cytoplasm around the apical end of invading ookinetes was replaced by fine granular material deprived of normal organelles. Membranous structure was observed within the fine granular area. Most ookinetes were seen intracellularly on the luminal side and intercellularly on the haemocoel side of the midgut epithelial cells. These observations suggest that the ookinete first enters into the midgut epithelial cell, then exits to the space between the epithelial cells and moves to the basal lamina where the ookinete develops to the oocyst.