Monitoring of the Parasite Load in the Digestive Tract of Rhodnius prolixus by Combined qPCR Analysis and Imaging Techniques Provides New Insights into the Trypanosome Life Cycle
Fig 7
Fluorescence microscopy of digestive tracts extracted from insects infected with GFP-tagged parasites.
The images show the presence of green fluorescent parasites colonizing the AM (A-H), PM (I-L) and H (M-R). (A-C) Fluorescence images of the AM showing free-swimming parasites at days 1, 2 and 7 p.i., respectively. (D-H) Fluorescence and DIC images showing parasite aggregates, at day 1 p.i. (D, E), and day 4 p.i. (F-H). The asterisks indicate aggregate of parasites associated to gut wall. (I-K) Fluorescence images of the PM at days 1, 2 and 7 p.i.. (L) Fluorescence image at day 4 p.i.. The asterisk indicates a cluster of parasites in the lumen of the PM. Fluorescence and DIC images of the H at days 4 (M, P), 7 (N, Q) and 21 (O, R) p.i., respectively. Scale bars: (A-H) 50 μm; (I-K) 50 μm; (L) 10 μm; (M-R) 50 μm. A-E, I-K, M-Q and F-H and L images were performed, respectively, using a Zeiss Axioplan 2 fluorescence microscope and a Zeiss Axioplan 2 fluorescence microscope.