TY - JOUR
T1 - Regulation of cell membrane permeability in Trypanosoma lewisi
AU - Buy, H. G.du
AU - Greenblatt, C. L.
AU - Hayes, J. E.
AU - Lincicome, D. R.
PY - 1966/4
Y1 - 1966/4
N2 - Fluorescent properties of tetracycline (TC) were used to study permeability changes of T. lewisi in various surroundings under phase and fluorescence microscopy. Mitochondria and the mitochondrial elements of the kinetoplast fluoresced bright yellow under fluorescence microscopy when tetracycline entered the cells. Survival time of the organisms in saline was measured in hours, and in serum in days, either with or without TC. Survival time was proportionally shortened under conditions of fluorescence microscopy. This proportional shortening of the survival times was dependent on penetration of TC and the effect of the light necessary for fluorescence microscopy. The cells in saline became immediately visible and died rapidly, while those in serum became visible within an hour, followed by death. Serum serves as a protective permeability-regulating coat around the parasites. Thus, permeability changes which required hours or days under normal conditions could be measured in minutes with tetracycline. The protection afforded by different serum fractions of rabbit and rat sera was also measured. The beta globulins, and, to a lesser degree, the albumins, prevented the penetration of tetracycline. The presence of a serum barrier was also demonstrated by washing serum-coated organisms, by the use of fluorescein-labeled serum, and by leaching experiments. Anti-T. lewisi-antiserum does not prevent tetracycline penetration. The nature of the serum barrier and the probable role of the protective lipoprotein-containing serum fractions is discussed and their significance regarding chemotherapeutic studies pointed out.
AB - Fluorescent properties of tetracycline (TC) were used to study permeability changes of T. lewisi in various surroundings under phase and fluorescence microscopy. Mitochondria and the mitochondrial elements of the kinetoplast fluoresced bright yellow under fluorescence microscopy when tetracycline entered the cells. Survival time of the organisms in saline was measured in hours, and in serum in days, either with or without TC. Survival time was proportionally shortened under conditions of fluorescence microscopy. This proportional shortening of the survival times was dependent on penetration of TC and the effect of the light necessary for fluorescence microscopy. The cells in saline became immediately visible and died rapidly, while those in serum became visible within an hour, followed by death. Serum serves as a protective permeability-regulating coat around the parasites. Thus, permeability changes which required hours or days under normal conditions could be measured in minutes with tetracycline. The protection afforded by different serum fractions of rabbit and rat sera was also measured. The beta globulins, and, to a lesser degree, the albumins, prevented the penetration of tetracycline. The presence of a serum barrier was also demonstrated by washing serum-coated organisms, by the use of fluorescein-labeled serum, and by leaching experiments. Anti-T. lewisi-antiserum does not prevent tetracycline penetration. The nature of the serum barrier and the probable role of the protective lipoprotein-containing serum fractions is discussed and their significance regarding chemotherapeutic studies pointed out.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=49949139403&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0014-4894(66)90021-X
DO - 10.1016/0014-4894(66)90021-X
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AN - SCOPUS:49949139403
SN - 0014-4894
VL - 18
SP - 231
EP - 243
JO - Experimental Parasitology
JF - Experimental Parasitology
IS - 2
ER -