Secretory glands in cercaria of the neuropathogenic schistosome Trichobilharzia regenti - ultrastructural characterization, 3-D modelling, volume and pH estimations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cercariae of schistosomes employ bioactive molecules for penetration into their hosts. These are released from specialized unicellular glands upon stimuli from host skin. The glands were previously well-described in the human pathogen Schistosoma mansoni. As bird schistosomes can also penetrate human skin and cause cercarial dermatitis, our aim was to characterize the architecture and ultrastructure of glands in the neurotropic bird schistosome Trichobilharzia regenti and compare it with S. mansoni. In the context of different histolytic enzymes used by these two species, we focused also on the estimations of gland volumes and pH in T. regenti.

Results

The architecture and 3-D models of two types of acetabular penetration glands, their ducts and of the head gland

SUBMITTER: Ligasova A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3171358 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature