Research Article

Development of Eimeria nieschulzi (Coccidia, Apicomplexa) Gamonts and Oocysts in Primary Fetal Rat Cells

Figure 1

Development of the schizonts II and IV as well as clusters of macrogametocytes in organoid crypt-like structures in the fetal mix cell assay. (a) Cluster of second-generation schizonts (YFP) which can be found early from 68 h p.i. and also late at 145 h p.i. (b) and (c) probably large schizont of the second-generation; YFP (b) and transmitted light (c). (d) Probably merozoite of the second-generation (YFP) with a length of more than 20 μm (22 μm). Marquardt 1966 [9] and Roudabush 1937 [8] described a maximum length of 16 μm. (e) Young fourth-generation schizonts (YFP) after few nuclear divisions. (f) Clustered fourth generation schizonts (YFP) after multiple cell divisions, as wells as young schizonts. (g) Fourth generation merozoites (YFP). (h) Large cluster of around 100 gamonts (transmitted light micrograph). (i) Corresponding (to (h)) fluorescence micrograph of the gamonts with macrogamont specific expressed TDT signal, YFP not shown. (j) Transmitted light micrograph with gamonts (arrows) within cells of a crypt-like structure. (k) Uninfected crypt-like structure. (a) to (g) and (j) bars = 20 μm; (h), (i) and (k) bars = 100 μm.
591520.fig.001a
(a) 145 h p.i.
591520.fig.001b
(b) 122 h p.i.
591520.fig.001c
(c) 122 h p.i.
591520.fig.001d
(d) 216 h p.i.
591520.fig.001e
(e) 164 h p.i.
591520.fig.001f
(f) 180 h p.i.
591520.fig.001g
(g) 218 h p.i.
591520.fig.001h
(h) 245 h p.i.
591520.fig.001i
(i) 245 h p.i.
591520.fig.001j
(j) 245 h p.i.
591520.fig.001k
(k) 245 h p.i.