Fig 5. GP63 enables L. mexicana Δcpb to infect macrophages and induce large PVs.

BMM were infected with stationary phase serum-opsonized L. mexicana (WT, Δcpb, Δcpb+cpb and Δcpb+GP63) promastigotes for 2 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. Macrophages were stained with the HEMA 3 kit. Representative pictures from each condition are shown (A) Parasites were counted in 300 macrophages on triplicate coverslips (B). Macrophages were stained with the LAMP1 antibody and vacuole sizes were measured with the ZEN 2012 software (C). Parasitemia and vacuole size was determined on 300 phagosomes in triplicate in three independent experiments. *p<0.0001.