Article
Leishmania major: Parasite Interactions Suggesting Sexuality
Registro en:
SOUSA, Maria Auxiliadora; PEREIRA, Mirian Claudia de Souza; CÔRTE-REAL, Suzana. Leishmania major: Parasite Interactions Suggesting Sexuality. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, v. 92, n. 6, p. 761-766, Nov./Dec. 1997.
0074-0276
10.1590/S0074-02761997000600006
1678-8060
Autor
Sousa, Maria Auxiliadora de
Pereira, Mirian Claudia de Souza
Corte-Real, Suzana
Resumen
In five experiments, Leishmania (Leishmania) major (MRHO/SU/59/P-strain) grew poorly when
seeded in FYTS medium supplemented with 15% fetal calf serum, but presented several peculiar pairs of
promastigotes diametrically opposed and attached at their posterior ends (5.8-13.5%). As seen in Giemsa-stained smears, a ring-like line and/or an enlargement, generally occurred at the parasite junction. A close proximity of nuclei, which sometimes were difficult to distinguish from each other, was also
observed at this junction. Several of these pairs appeared to be composed of fused cells in which the
nuclei could be apparently fused, as shown by fluorescence microscopy to detect ß-tubulin and DNA,
and by scanning electron microscopy. Under other culture conditions these pairs were absent or occurred at very low rates (0.2-2.2%). Such pairs differ markedly from longitudinally dividing cells and
resemble those described in two other Leishmania species, as well as in Herpetomonas megaseliae and
Phytomonas davidi, suggesting steps of a putative sexual process.