Cytoskeletal architecture and components involved in the attachment of Trypanosoma congolense epimastigotes.
Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of Trypanosoma congolense epimastigotes attached to a plastic substratum shows them to elaborate a complex flagellum filament system and plaque with a highly organized structure. Non-ionic detergent extraction of these cells shows that the resulting cytoskeletons remain attached to the plaque. The subpellicular corset of microtubules can be removed by salt or Ca2+ treatment leaving the axoneme, paraflagellar rod, associated filaments and the plaque. Neither of these treatments therefore removed the plaque-associated material from the substratum. Analysis of these fractions by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals an abundant 70 kDa protein that is highly enriched in the salt extracted 'minimal plaque' structures and appears likely to be a major constituent of this structure. These studies reveal that the complex filament and microtubule systems of the cytoskeleton involved the attachment of trypanosomes to substrata and have established a method of biochemical fractionation of the structures and components involved.
Beattie
P
P
School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, UK.
Gull
K
K
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003902:Detergents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005407:Flagella / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005898:Glass; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010969:Plastics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D014348:Trypanosoma congolense / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis
D003902:Detergents; D010969:Plastics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D002118:Calcium