Researchers from University of Barcelona report on findings in taeniasis
2009 JUN 29 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study from Barcelona, Spain, "The ultrastructural characters of the mature spermatozoon of Taenia taeniaeformis are described by means of transmission electron microscopy. Materials were obtained from a naturally infected road-killed cat (Felis catus) from La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain)." "The mature spermatozoon of T. taeniaeformis is a filiform cell, which is tapered at both extremities and lacks mitochondria. It is characterised by the presence of (1) a single spirallised crested body about 140 nm thick, (2) a single axoneme of the 9+'1' pattern of trepaxonematan Platyhelminthes, (3) a twisted (40A degrees) layer of submembranous cortical microtubules, (4) a periaxonemal sheath surrounding the axoneme, (5) transverse intracytoplasmic walls and (6) a spirallised nucleus encircling the axoneme. The mature spermatozoon of T. taeniaeformis is also characterised by the presence of an apical cone in its anterior extremity and by the disorganisation of the axoneme in its posterior extremity," wrote J. Miquel and colleagues, University of Barcelona. The researchers concluded: "The ultrastructural characters of the mature spermatozoon of T. taeniaeformis are compared with those of other cestodes studied to date, with particular emphasis on other representatives of the family Taeniidae." Miquel and colleagues published their study in Parasitology Research (Ultrastructural study of the spermatozoon of Taenia taeniaeformis (Batsch, 1786) (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea, Taeniidae), an intestinal parasite of Felis catus from La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). Parasitology Research, 2009;104(6):1477-1483). For more information, contact J. Miquel, University of Barcelona, Faculty Farm, Parasitology Laboratory, Dept. of Microbiology & Parasitology Sanitaries, Av Joan 23 SN, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. Publisher contact information for the journal Parasitology Research is: Springer, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013, USA. Keywords: Spain, Barcelona, Electron Microscopy, Gastroenterology, Parasitology, Taeniasis, University of Barcelona. This article was prepared by Gastroenterology Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Gastroenterology Week via NewsRx.com.
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