Ultrastructural study of in vitro larval development of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces

Through ultrastructural study of the morphological forms developed in vitro during protoscolex culture, we describe larval E. granulosus histogenesis. The transformation of the spined microtriches in the protoscolex into truncated microtriches that develop within the hydatid cyst is discussed. The paper also describes the mitochondria location change that occurs during the evolution; the mitochondria pass from the most internal area of the distal cytoplasm along the cytoplasmic extensions into the cytoplasm of tegumental cells. The ultrastructures of both the vesiculated protoscolex and the posterior bladder demonstrate that each state corresponds to the initial step on one of the two paths of in vitro vesicular development.