Mosquito Tissue Ultrastructure-Expansion Microscopy (MoTissU-ExM) enables ultrastructural and anatomical analysis of malaria parasites and their mosquito.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Study of malaria parasite cell biology is challenged by their small size, which can make visualisation of individual organelles difficult or impossible using conventional light microscopy. In recent years, the field has attempted to overcome this challenge through the application of ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM), which physically expands a biological sample approximately 4.5-fold. To date, U-ExM has mostly been used to visualise blood-stage parasites and used exclusively on parasites in vitro.

Methods

Here we develop Mosquito Tissue U-ExM (MoTissU-ExM), a method for preparing dissected mosquito salivary glands and midguts by U-ExM. MoTissU-ExM preserves both host and parasite ultrastructure, enabling visualisation of oocysts and sporozoites in situ.

SUBMITTER: Liffner B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12714001 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature