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. 2018 Apr 20;9:753. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00753

FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 8

Ultrastructural alterations in T. gondii tachyzoites after KP treatment. TEM images were obtained after 3 h incubation in absence (control) or presence of KP. (A) Typical morphology of extracellular parasites incubated in absence of KP (control). C, conoid; mp, micropore; Mc, mitochondrion; N, nucleus; Dg, dense granule; Cm, cell membrane (plasmalemma, arrow; inner cell membrane complex, arrowhead). (B) Higher magnification of the apical pole of a control parasite. C, conoid; Nm, nuclear membrane; N, nucleus. (C,D) Morphological changes after 3 h of incubation with KP at 50 μg/mL. Rupture of nuclear membrane and chromatin condensation (white arrow), disorganization of the mitochondrion (white arrowheads), formation of vacuoles, either phase lucent or containing small granules (black arrowheads), and detachment of plasmalemma (black arrows). (E–H) Gross alterations of cellular structures after 3 h of incubation with KP at 100 μg/mL. (E) Inner membrane complex damages (arrows). (F) Cellular material shed in the space between detached membranes (white arrowheads).(G) Protrusions of plasmalemma containing amorphous material (arrows). (H) Almost completely lysed tachyzoite. Bar: 0.5 μm.