Freeze-fracture study of the tegument of larval Taenia crassiceps.
The tegument of Taenia crassiceps cysticerus is composed of 2 layers, an outer microthrix border and an underlying vesicular syncytium. Each microthrix is a long slender structure that has 2 portions, a thick proximal portion and a thinner distal portion. The inner core of each microthrix contains a cylinder of microfilaments enclosing a central bundle of microfilaments. There are numerous particles on both the protoplasmic and extracellular fracture faces of the proximal portion of the microthrix membrane while there are few particles on the fracture faces of the distal portion. The vesicles that tightly pack the distal tegument are membrane-bound biconcave discs arranged in stacks.
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D007814:Larva; D051379:Mice; D013621:Taenia / Q000648:ultrastructure*