Visualization and 3D Reconstruction of Flame Cells of Taenia solium (Cestoda)

Abstract

BackgroundFlame cells are the terminal cells of protonephridial systems, which are part of the excretory systems of invertebrates. Although the knowledge of their biological role is incomplete, there is a consensus that these cells perform excretion/secretion activities. It has been suggested that the flame cells participate in the maintenance of the osmotic environment that the cestodes require to live inside their hosts. In live Platyhelminthes, by light microscopy, the cells appear beating their flames rapidly and, at the ultrastructural, the cells have a large body enclosing a tuft of cilia. Few studies have been performed to define the localization of the cytoskeletal proteins of these cells, and it is unclear how these proteins are involved in cell function.Methodology/Principal FindingsParasites of two different developmental stages of T. solium were used: cysticerci recovered from naturally infected pigs and intestinal adults obtained from immunosuppressed and experimentally infected golden hamsters. Hamsters were fed viable cysticerci to recover adult parasites after one month of infection. In the present studies focusing on flame cells of cysticerci tissues was performed. Using several methods such as video, confocal and electron microscopy, in addition to computational analysis for reconstruction and modeling, we have provided a 3D visual rendition of the cytoskeletal architecture of Taenia solium flame cells.Conclusions/SignificanceWe consider that visual representations of cells open a new way for understanding the role of these cells in the excretory systems of Platyhelminths. After reconstruction, the observation of high resolution 3D images allowed for virtual observation of the interior composition of cells. A combination of microscopic images, computational reconstructions and 3D modeling of cells appears to be useful for inferring the cellular dynamics of the flame cell cytoskeleton.

Anatomy and development of the larval nervous system in Echinococcus multilocularis

“…These are easily distinguishable from the nerve cells given their morphology (including an AcTub-IR bundle of cilia or "flame", and a roundish cell body that is also strongly AcTub-IR), and by their co-staining with phalloidin in a basal ring surrounding the bundle of cilia [19,20]. Their morphology is however somewhat abnormal as compared to the morphology of flame cells in the protoscolex, since the phalloidin ring and the bundle of cilia are small and irregularly shaped [Additional file 1].…”

Architecture of Paradiplozoon homoion: A diplozoid monogenean exhibiting highly-developed equipment for ectoparasitism

“…The most significant of these structures are those related to host searching, attachment, feeding/metabolism, pairing and protection against host responses [ 12 , 17 ]. As previous microscopy studies have shown the benefits of CLSM analysis with fluorescent labelling for detection of specific structures, we used phalloidin labelling of F-actin for visualisation of muscle structures and tubulin staining for detection of the nervous or excretory systems [ 40 , 45 ].…”

JVG9, a benzimidazole derivative, alters the surface and cytoskeleton of Trypanosoma cruzi bloodstream trypomastigotes

“…Immunofluorescence assays - Parasites were prepared as previously described ( Valverde-Islas et al 2011 )) with slight modifications. Briefly, after parasites were washed with sterile buffer-PBS, they were placed onto poly-L-lysine coated coverslips.…”