title: High-resolution scanning electron microscopy of the cytoskeleton of Tritrichomonas foetus.
abstract: Tritrichomonas foetus is a pathogenic protozoan that causes bovine trichomoniasis. In addition to its importance in veterinary medicine, this parasite is also a good representative of one the earliest eukaryotic cells available for study. T. foetus contains organelles that are common to all eukaryotic cells as well as uncommon cell structures such as hydrogenosomes and a complex and elaborate cytoskeleton that constitutes the mastigont system. The mastigont system is mainly formed by several proteinaceous structures that are associated with basal bodies, the pelta-axostylar complex and the costa. Although the structural organization of trichomonad cytoskeletons has been analyzed using several techniques, observation using a new generation of scanning electron microscopes with a resolution of 0.8nm has allowed more detailed visualization of the three-dimensional organization of the mastigont system. Moreover, this study revealed the presence of new structures, such as the costa accessory filament, and the presence of two groups of microtubules that form the pelta-axostylar system.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Santa Úrsula, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivone
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Andrade Rosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagens, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia - Inmetro, Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wanderley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Universidade Santa Úrsula, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagens, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: marlenebenchimol@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benchimol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins
keywords: Costa; Cytoskeleton; Extreme high-resolution scanning electron microscopy; Mastigont system; Pelta-axostyle system; Tritrichomonas foetus