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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Mol Microbiol. 2010 Apr 23;76(6):1340–1357. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07181.x

Fig. 3. Ultrastructure of the VAC.

Fig. 3

Extracellular tachyzoites were immunolabeled with MαTgCPL antibodies before incubation with 10 nm protein A-gold particles.

A. A globoid VAC surrounded by a single membrane containing TgCPL is observed in the apical area enriched in micronemes (Mi) and rhoptries (R). Magnifications (A’, A’’) reveal the presence of intraluminal vesicles with dense core material.

B and inset. Internal vesicles delineated by a double membrane (arrow) are visible that may be the result of engulfment of an incoming vesicle by the VAC.

C and C’. Deep invaginations of the VAC limiting membrane.

D. Outward deformation of the multivesicular endosomal membrane.

E. Tubulovesicular structures decorated by TgCPL may either result from the budding of the limiting membrane of the VAC or correspond to endosomal tubules fusing with the VAC.

Scale bars are 200 nm, except 100 nm in inset in C.