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Interactions between Encephalitozoon cuniculi and macrophages. Parasitophorous vacuole growth and the absence of

E Weidner

    Zeitschrift Fur Parasitenkunde (Berlin, Germany)
    |August 21, 1975
    PubMed

    Insights

    Encephalitozoon cuniculi growth involves parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) that expand via pinocytosis. Ferritin, used to trace uptake, was excluded from PVs, indicating a unique nutrient acquisition mechanism for this parasite.

    Area of Science:

    • Cell Biology
    • Parasitology
    • Microbiology

    Background:

    • Encephalitozoon cuniculi are obligate intracellular parasites.
    • Parasitism involves host cell manipulation, including vacuole formation.
    • Understanding parasite-host interactions is crucial for developing treatments.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the mechanism of parasitophorous vacuole (PV) growth during Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection.
    • To determine the role of pinocytosis in PV expansion.
    • To elucidate nutrient uptake pathways into the PV.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized iron dextran-concanavalin A to visualize Con A receptors on PV membranes.
    • Employed ferritin labeling to trace endocytic pathways in infected macrophages.
    • Performed acid phosphatase cytochemistry to identify lysosomal activity.

    Main Results:

    • PV boundary membranes exhibited blebs and free vesicles with clustered Con A receptors.
    • PVs expanded while host cytoplasm decreased, suggesting interiorization via pinocytosis.
    • Ferritin accumulated in secondary lysosomes and phagocytic vacuoles but was excluded from PVs.
    • Parasitophorous vacuoles containing E. cuniculi lacked acid phosphatase activity.

    Conclusions:

    • Encephalitozoon cuniculi PVs grow through a pinocytic mechanism involving membrane blebbing and vesicle formation.
    • Ferritin exclusion and lack of acid phosphatase activity suggest PVs are protected from lysosomal degradation.
    • This study reveals a unique nutrient acquisition strategy for E. cuniculi, distinct from phagolysosomal pathways.

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