Related Experiment Videos
Ultrastructure of sarcocysts from water buffalo in India
J P Dubey1, C A Speer, H L Shah
1Livestock and Poultry Sciences Institute, U.S.D.A., Beltsville, MD 20705.
Abstract:
The ultrastructure of sarcocysts of macro- and microscopic species of Sarcocystis was compared from naturally infected water buffalo from India. Grossly visible sarcocysts had walls consisting of cauliflower-like villar protrusions, typical of S. fusiformis. The sarcocyst wall of the microscopic species of Sarcocystis was 6.4 microns thick and consisted of tightly packed conical villar protrusions that were 9.6 microns long and 3.7 microns wide at the base. At approximately 3 microns above the base, the distal two-thirds of the villar protrusion became conical shaped and was bent laterally at an angle of 45 degrees to the sarcocyst surface. The granular layer beneath the villar protrusions was 0.9 microns thick. In S. levinei the granular layer was 1.9 microns thick, the villar protrusions were narrow and it had a highly undulating primary cyst wall. Whether the microscopic S. levinei-like sarcocysts of Indian and Malaysian water buffalo are distinct species of Sarcocystis will require further investigation.
Insights
This study compares Sarcocystis species in water buffalo, detailing microscopic differences in sarcocyst walls. Further research is needed to determine if Indian and Malaysian microscopic Sarcocystis are distinct species.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Parasitology
- Microbiology
- Ultrastructural Biology
Background:
- Sarcocystis species are protozoan parasites affecting various hosts, including water buffalo.
- Understanding sarcocyst ultrastructure is crucial for species identification and host-pathogen interactions.
- Previous studies have identified Sarcocystis in water buffalo, but detailed ultrastructural comparisons are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the ultrastructure of macro- and microscopic Sarcocystis species in water buffalo from India.
- To provide detailed morphological descriptions of Sarcocystis sarcocyst walls.
- To investigate potential species differentiation based on ultrastructural characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy.
- Comparative morphological examination of sarcocyst walls from naturally infected water buffalo.
- Detailed measurements of sarcocyst wall thickness, villar protrusions, and granular layer.
Main Results:
- Macroscopic Sarcocystis sarcocysts exhibited cauliflower-like villar protrusions, consistent with Sarcocystis fusiformis.
- Microscopic Sarcocystis sarcocysts had a 6.4-micron thick wall with tightly packed, conical villar protrusions (9.6 x 3.7 microns).
- Distinct differences were observed in the granular layer thickness and villar protrusion morphology between Sarcocystis fusiformis and Sarcocystis levinei-like species.
Conclusions:
- Ultrastructural differences in sarcocyst walls support the differentiation of Sarcocystis species in water buffalo.
- The microscopic Sarcocystis species described shows unique ultrastructural features.
- Further investigation is required to confirm if the microscopic Sarcocystis levinei-like sarcocysts from Indian and Malaysian water buffalo represent distinct species.