Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in Trypanosoma cruzi

Digitonin can be used to selectively permeabilize the plasma membrane of Trypanosoma cruzi without significantly affecting the functional integrity of mitochondria or the endoplasmic reticulum. This permits the study of functional properties of these subcellular organelles in situ, such as respiration, oxidative phosphorylation and Ca2+ transport. The ability of these cells to take up and hydrolyze Fura-2/AM, followed by the retention of the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fura-2, permits the determination of cytosolyc free Ca2+ concentrations in different T. cruzi stages.