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High osmotic pressure enables fine ultrastructural and cytochemical studies onPneumocystic carinii

I. Epon embedding

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Abstract

High osmotic pressure was used to preserve the ultrastructure of rabbit-, SCID mouse-, and rat-derivedPneumocystis carinii organisms from osmotic stress during fixation. Organelles and cytosol were well preserved within the tonicity range of 850–1,300 mosmol. Under these experimental conditions, we determined that the endoplasmic reticulum was well developed in all parasite stages and could observe the Golgi complex, autophagic vacuoles, dense bodies, type II endoplasmic saccules, and the recently described outer surface membrane, which was found in all parasite stages. The biological implications of these findings are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Biologie et Biochimie Parasitaires et Fongiques, domaine du C.E.R.T.I.A., I.N.S.E.R.M. (U. 42), 369, rue Jules-Guesde, Flers-Bourg, F-59650, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France

    F. Palluault, C. Slomianny, B. Soulez, E. Dei-Cas & D. Camus

  2. Laboratoire d'Histologie-Biologie de la reproduction, Faculté de Médecine, 1, Place de Verdun, F-59045, Lille, France

    B. Soulez

  3. Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, 1, Place de Verdun, F-59045, Lille, France

    E. Dei-Cas & D. Camus

Authors
  1. F. Palluault
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  2. C. Slomianny
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  3. B. Soulez
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  4. E. Dei-Cas
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  5. D. Camus
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Additional information

This investigation was supported in part by the Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA (ANRS) and in part by a scholarship awarded by the Conseil Régional Nord-Pas-de-Calais (to F.P.) during the course of the study.

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Palluault, F., Slomianny, C., Soulez, B. et al. High osmotic pressure enables fine ultrastructural and cytochemical studies onPneumocystic carinii . Parasitol Res 78, 437–444 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00931702

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00931702

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