Echinococcus granulosus: Insights into the protoscolex F-actin cytoskeleton.

Echinococcus granulosus: Insights into the protoscolex F-actin cytoskeleton. Acta Trop. 2019 Aug 06;:105122 Authors: La-Rocca S, Farias J, Chalar C, Kun AE, Fernandez V Abstract Echinococcus granulosus is a cestode parasite whose cytoskeleton plasticity allows it to enter and develop inside its hosts, completing thus its life cycle. We focused our attention on F-actin organization and distribution in E. granulosus protoscoleces (PSC) in order to contribute to the knowledge of the parasite cytoskeleton. In particular, we addressed some aspects of F-actin rearrangements in PSC at different stages of the evagination/invagination process. The use of light microscopy allowed us to identify different PSC structures and phalloidin staining displayed a parasite's highly organized F-actin cytoskeleton. Suckers exhibit an important musculature composed of a set of radial fibers. At the rostellum, the F-actin filaments are arranged in a bulbar shape with perforations that appear to be the attachment places for the hooks. Also, "circular" structures of F-actin were identified, which remind the flame cells. Furthermore, parasite F-actin filaments, unevenly distributed, seem to have remained substantially unchanged during the evagination/invagination process. Finally, we showed that the scolex of an evaginated E. granulosus PSC reinvaginates in vitro without any treatment. PMID: 31398313 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Acta Tropica - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: research