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Three dimensional structure of the leishmania amastigote as revealed by computer-aided reconstruction from serial sections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

G. H. Coombs ,
L. Tetley ,
V. A. Moss  and
K. Vickerman
G. H. Coombs
Affiliation:
Departments of Zoology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ
L. Tetley
Affiliation:
Departments of Zoology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ
V. A. Moss
Affiliation:
Departments of Physiology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ
K. Vickerman
Affiliation:
Departments of Zoology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ
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Summary

Computer-aided reconstruction from serial sections has been used to analyse the 3-dimensional structure of entire amastigotes of Leishmania mexicana mexicana and to determine the number, arrangement and volume of each organelle. In two reconstructions, the lysosome-like ‘megasomes’ were the most numerous organelle, there being 34 in one amastigote, and they comprised as much as 15% of the total cell volume. In contrast, as few as 9 glycosomes were present, accounting for less than 1% of the cell volume. The unitary nature of the mitochondrion was confirmed and its complex basket-like structure was revealed. The spatial arrangement of the cell organelles is here displayed in stereo-pairs.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 92 , Issue 1 , February 1986 , pp. 13 - 23
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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References

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