Localisation of laminin within Plasmodium berghei oocysts and the midgut epithelial cells of Anopheles stephensi

Table 1 Density of laminin labelling in the capsule of P. berghei oocysts.

	Infected Midgut (mean density/μm²)	Uninfected Midgut (mean density/μm²)
*P. berghei* oocyst capsule	7.91 (± 0.82)^a	N/A
*P. berghei* oocyst minus capsule*	1.35 (± 0.11)^b	N/A
Basal lamina	14.00 (± 1.36)^a	13.98 (± 1.71)^x
Midgut Epithelium ^≠	1.02 (± 0.39)^b	2.03 (± 0.80)^x
Midgut lumen	0.89 (± 0.19)^b	0.18 (± 0.05)^y
Resin	0.30 (± 0.07)^b	0.17 (± 0.04)^y

There was significantly more labelling of laminin in the oocyst capsule and the midgut basal lamina than the control areas or P. berghei oocysts minus capsule. Values in brackets = standard error of the mean. Infected midgut: ^a indicates a significant difference from control areas denoted by ^b. Uninfected midgut: ^x indicates a significant difference from control area denoted by ^y. *Laminin distribution was analysed within whole oocysts (minus capsule) without any distinction made between sporozoites, cytoplasm or subcapsular space. ^≠ Analysis was performed on whole cells with no distinction between cytoplasm and organelles. In later analyses, laminin distribution in various organelles was compared to distribution in the midgut lumen.

ISSN: 1756-3305