Fig. 7

AFM of isolated kDNA networks from T. cruzi during metacyclogenesis. a, d, g Represent the entire kDNA network. b, e, h Show the center of the kDNA network. c, f, i, j Correspond to the outer edges of the kDNA network. The kDNA is composed of a massive network of interlocked DNA molecules. It is most uniformly distributed in epimastigotes (a-c). This uniformity decreases in the intermediate forms (d-f) and it is even lower in the trypomastigotes (g-i). In these last two forms, several foci containing a high concentration of kDNA fibrils are shown (e, h, arrows). j Part of a maxicircle is shown in the trypomastigotes (arrowhead). Scale-bars: a, g, 1 μm; d 2 μm; b, c, e, f, h, j, 0.5 μm