Nanoarchitecture of the ventral disc of Giardia intestinalis as revealed by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and helium ion microscopy.

The parasitic protozoan Giardia intestinalis, the causative agent of giardiasis, presents a stable and elaborated cytoskeleton, which shapes and supports several intracellular structures, including the ventral disc, the median body, the funis, and four pairs of flagella. Giardia trophozoite is the motile form that inhabits the host small intestine and attaches to epithelial cells, leading to infection. The ventral disc is considered one important element of adhesion to the intestinal cells.

The structural organization of Giardia intestinalis cytoskeleton.

Giardia intestinalis, the causative agent of giardiasis, has complex cytoskeleton organization with structures involved in motility, adhesion, cell division, and cell differentiation. Microtubules are key components of the cytoskeleton and are the main elements of the ventral disc, median body, funis, in addition to four pairs of flagella. These cytoskeletal elements are basically stable microtubule arrangements.

Helium ion microscopy and ultra-high-resolution scanning electron microscopy analysis of membrane-extracted cells reveals novel characteristics of the cytoskeleton of Giardia intestinalis.

Giardia intestinalis presents a complex microtubular cytoskeleton formed by specialized structures, such as the adhesive disk, four pairs of flagella, the funis and the median body. The ultrastructural organization of the Giardia cytoskeleton has been analyzed using different microscopic techniques, including high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Recent advances in scanning microscopy technology have opened a new venue for the characterization of cellular structures and include scanning probe microscopy techniques such as ultra-high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (UHRSEM) and helium ion microscopy (HIM).

Assembly of the Leishmania amazonensis flagellum during cell differentiation.

The flagellar cytoskeleton of Leishmania promastigotes contains the canonical 9+2 microtubular axoneme and a filamentous structure, the paraflagellar rod (PFR), which is present alongside the axoneme. In contrast to promastigotes, which contain a long and motile flagellum, the amastigote form of Leishmania displays a short flagellum without a PFR that is limited to the flagellar pocket domain. Here, we investigated the biogenesis of the Leishmania flagellum at 0, 4, 6 and 24h of differentiation.

New associated structures of the anterior flagella of Giardia duodenalis.

Giardia duodenalis is a protozoan parasite that causes intestinal disorders. The trophozoites present four pairs of flagella. Here we further analyze the structural organization of the anterior flagella associated structures of G.

Giardia lamblia: a report of drug effects under cell differentiation.

The Giardia lamblia life cycle is characterized by two phases during which two major cell differentiation processes take place: encystation and excystation. During encystation, the trophozoites transform into cysts, the resistance form. Once ingested by a susceptible host, the cysts are stimulated to excyst in the stomach, and the excysted trophozoites adhere to the epithelium of the upper small intestine.

Effects of three benzimidazoles on growth, general morphology and ultrastructure of Tritrichomonas foetus.

Tritrichomonas foetus is a venereal pathogen of cattle, which causes infertility, early embryonic death or abortion. In order to evaluate the potential trichomonicidal activity of benzimidazoles, the effects of thiabendazole, mebendazole and albendazole were analyzed on the multiplication, general morphology and ultrastructure of T. foetus.