Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense: enhancement of infection rates in the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans, by feeding artificial bloodmeal mixtures.
Low mature salivary gland (SG) infection rates (6%) in less than 24-hour-old flies fed on blood containing bloodform trypanosomes can be significantly enhanced by feeding flies an artificial mixture containing procyclic forms in a red cell: culture medium mixture (procyclic mixture, SG rate = 21.0%). However, enhancement is not solely a function of the use of procyclic forms since blood forms fed to flies in the same red cell: culture medium mixture produce SG rates (15.4%) intermediate to those of blood forms in blood and procyclic mixtures. Use of these artificial mixtures produces a similar result in 24- to 48-hour-old flies and also tends to equalize their infection rates with those found in less than 24-hour-old flies. The possible relationships between the different infection rates observed and digestive proteinases in the tsetse fly are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D003470:Culture Media; D006736:Horses; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000469:parasitology; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000502:physiology*; D014370:Tsetse Flies / Q000469:parasitology*
D003470:Culture Media