Ultrastructural visualization of lipids in trypanosomatids.
An imidazole-buffered osmium tetroxide solution was used to visualize lipids at the ultrastructural level in the following members of the family Trypanosomatidae: Trypanosoma cruzi, T. dionisii, T. vespertilionis. T. rangeli, Crithidia deanei, C. fasciculata, C. oncopelti, and Blastocrithidia culicis. Electron-dense material was seen in various lipid droplets found in all parasites and in the multivesicular structure of members of the sub-genus Schizotrypanum. High contrast of some membranes, mainly those which enclose the mitochondrion, the nucleus, and the endoplasmic reticulum, was observed even in unstained sections. X-ray microanalysis confirmed that the electron density of lipid droplets of B. culicis and membrane-bounded dense granules of C. oncopelti was due to the presence of osmium.
D000818:Animals; D003421:Crithidia / Q000032:analysis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009992:Osmium / Q000032:analysis; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014351:Trypanosomatina / Q000032:analysis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure
D008055:Lipids; D009992:Osmium