Ca. Speer et al., Comparative ultrastructure of tachyzoites, bradyzoites, and tissue cysts of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, INT J PARAS, 29(10), 1999, pp. 1509-1519
The ultrastructure of tachyzoites, bradyzoites and tissue cysts of the NC-1
, NC-5 and NC-Liverpool strains of Neospora caninum are reviewed and compar
ed with those of the VEG and ME-49 strains of Toxoplasma gondii. While each
stage of N. caninum and T. gondii shared many ultrastructural characterist
ics. each parasite stage also had certain features or organelles that could
be used to distinguish the two parasites. Some of the most prominent ultra
structural differences occurred in the number, appearance and location of r
hoptries, looped-back rhoptries, micronemes, dense granules, small dense gr
anules and micropores. The tissue cysts of both parasites were also basical
ly similar, being surrounded by a cyst wall and not compartmentalised by se
pta. The cyst wall of N. caninum was irregular and substantially thicker, 0
.5-4 mu m, than those of T, gondii which were smooth and 0.5 mu m thick. (C
) 1999 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Scien
ce Ltd. All rights reserved.