Microtubule cytoskeleton behavior in the initial steps of host cell invasion by Besnoitia besnoiti

Abstract

Microtubule cytoskeleton behavior in the initial steps of host cell invasion by Besnoitia besnoiti

Besnoitia besnoiti is a protozoan parasite responsible for bovine besnoitiosis. Indirect immunofluorescence showed that isolated B. besnoiti possesses a set of subpellicular microtubules, radiating from the apical end and extending for more than 2/3 of the cell body. Upon interaction with the host cell, B. besnoiti undergoes dramatic modifications of shape and surface, as revealed by atomic force microscopy, accompanied by a distinct tubulin labeling on the posterior region. In the host cell, the microtubule cytoskeleton shows a re-arrangement around the invading parasite suggesting a filamentous interaction with the parasite cytoskeleton during invasion.