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Fig. 5 | Parasites & Vectors

Fig. 5

From: Phylogenetic and morphological characterization of trypanosomes from Brazilian armoured catfishes and leeches reveal high species diversity, mixed infections and a new fish trypanosome species

Fig. 5

Morphological analysis of culture forms Trypanosoma abeli n. sp. by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cultured trypomastigotes (a) had a rod-like kinetoplast (k) similar to that of bloodstream trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma sp. from H. affinis and H. luetkeni (b), and epimastigotes of T. abeli (c). Lysosome related organelles (LROs; in c and e) had an electron-lucent matrix containing small vesicles (arrowheads in e) and rod-shaped electron-lucent bodies (arrows in e). Epimastigotes (c) and trypomastigotes (d) had numerous lipid bodies (L) of different sizes located near the kinetoplast (k) and the nucleus (N). Adjacent lipid bodies appeared to fuse, generating larger ones (f). A multivesicular body (MVB) containing small electron lucent (white arrow) and electron dense (black arrows) vesicles was located near the flagellar pocket (g), and a microtubule quartet (arrowheads in g) subtended the flagellar pocket membrane. Trypomastigotes had a cytostome (Ct)-cytopharynx (Cy) complex (d and h) that extended deep into the cytoplasm (h), reaching the perinuclear region (d). Nucleus, N; Nu, nucleolus; k, kinetoplast; FP, flagellar pocket; F, flagellum, Ac, acidocalcisomes; GC, Golgi Complex; L, lipid body; LRO, lysosome-related organelle; MVB, multivesicular body; Cy, cytostome; Ct, cytopharynx (Ct). Scale bars: 1 μm (c, f); 500 nm (a, b, h); 250 nm (d); 200 nm (e); 400 nm (g)

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