CYTOSKELETON IN TRICHOMONADS .3. STUDY OF THE MORPHOGENESIS DURING DIVISION BY USING MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES AGAINST CYTOSKELETAL STRUCTURES

The morphogenesis during division of Trichomonas vaginalis, Tritrichom onas foetus and Tritrichomonas augusta has been followed by immunofluo rescence with monoclonal antibodies against striated/microfibrillar st ructures (costa, parabasal fibre, preaxostylar fibres and undulating m embrane) and microtubular structures (flagella, pelta-axostyle complex , mitotic spindle) as well as by nuclear staining. The morphogenetic e vents were very similar in the three trichomonad species. The interpha se microtubular pattern displayed remarkable changes at the onset of m itosis: the parental axostyle depolymerized and the spindle (or parade smosis) became apparent. Elongation of the paradesmosis led to the sep aration of the daughter mastigonts. A new axostyle developed close to the basal bodies in each daughter kinetid. At the end of mitosis, the normal number of flagella was restored in each sister kinetid and the paradesmosis depolymerized beginning from its middle part before cytok inesis. The behaviour of striated/microfibrillar structures during mit osis differed from that of the microtubular axostyle-pelta complex. Th eir development was semi-conservative. The parental structures were re tained in one sister kinetid and new structures were synthesized very early in the other one.