Trypanosoma Brucei - Cell Structure

Cell Structure

The structure of the cell is fairly typical of eukaryotes (see eukaryotic cell). All major organelles are seen, including the nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus etc. Unusual features include the single large mitochondria with the mitochondrial DNA structure known as the kinetoplast, and its association with the basal body of the flagellum. The cytoskeleton is made up primarily of microtubules. The cell surface of the bloodstream form features a dense coat of variable surface glycoproteins (VSGs) which is replaced by an equally dense coat of procyclins when the parasite differentiates into the procylic in the tsetse fly midgut.

Trypanosomatids show specific cellular forms of which two are adopted by Trypanosoma brucei at different stages of the life cycle:

• Epimastigote - Basal body anterior of nucleus, with a long flagellum attached along the cell body.
• Trypomastigote - Basal body posterior of nucleus, with a long flagellum attached along the cell body.

These names are derived from the Greek mastig- meaning whip, referring to the trypanosome's whip-like flagellum.

T. brucei is found as a trypomastigote in the slender, stumpy, procyclic and metacyclic forms. The procylic form differentiates to the proliferitive epimastigote form in the salivary glands of the insect. Unlike some other trypanosomatids, the promastigote and amastigote form do not form part of the T.brucei life cycle.