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Title: Leishmania (L.) amazonensis: fusion between parasitophorous vacuoles in infected bone-marrow derived mouse macrophages. Author: Real F, Pouchelet M, Rabinovitch M. Journal: Exp Parasitol; 2008 May; 119(1):15-23. PubMed ID: 18346736. Abstract: [Leishmania(L.)] amazonensis amastigotes reside in macrophages within spacious parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) which may contain numerous parasites. After sporadic fusion events were detected by time-lapse cinemicrography, PV fusion was examined in two different models. In single infections, it was inferred from the reduction in PV numbers per cell. In a reinfection model, macrophages infected with unlabeled amastigotes were reinfected with GFP-transfected- or carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester-labeled parasites, and fusion was detected by the colocalization of labeled and unlabeled amastigotes in the same PVs. The main findings were: (1) as expected, fusion frequency increased with the multiplicity of infection; (2) most fusion events took place in the first 24h of infection or reinfection, prior to the multiplication of incoming parasites; (3) resident and incoming parasites multiplied at similar rates in fused PVs. The model should be useful in studies of parasite and host cell factors and mechanisms involved in PV fusogenicity.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]