Ultrastructure of Besnoitia besnoiti tissue cysts and bradyzoites.
Besnoitia besnoiti is an economically important tissue cyst-forming apicomplexan of cattle in Africa and Israel. Tissue cysts and bradyzoites of B. besnoiti from the skin of a naturally infected bull were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Tissue cysts enclosed host cell and bradyzoites. Bradyzoites were 6-7.5 x 1.9-2.3 microm in size and contained organelles found in coccidian merozoites including numerous micronemes, rhoptries, amylopectin granules, and a posteriorly located nucleus. Enigmatic bodies, characteristically found in Besnoitia sp. bradyzoites, were not observed. Therefore, enigmatic bodies should be removed as a generic character of the bradyzoites of Besnoitia species.
Dubey
J P
JP
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Animal Parasitic Diseases, Epidemiology and Systematics Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2350, USA. jdubey@anri.barc.usda.gov
Shkap
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Pipano
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Fish
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Fritz
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DL
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000662:veterinary; D003560:Cysts / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*