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Cytochemical techniques and energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy applied to the study of parasitic protozoa

Biological Procedures Online volume 3, pages 8–18 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

The study of parasitic protozoa plays a major role in cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Numerous cytochemical techniques have been developed in order to unequivocally identify the nature of subcellular compartments. Enzyme and immuno-cytochemistry allow the detection of, respectively, enzymatic activity products and antigens in particular sites within the cell. Energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy permits the detection of specific elements within such compartments. These approaches are particularly useful for studies employing antimicrobial agents where cellular compartments may be destroyed or remarkably altered and thus hardly identified by standard methods of observation. In this regard cytochemical and spectroscopic techniques provide valuable data allowing the determination of the mechanisms of action of such compounds.

Abbreviations

TEM:

transmission electron microscopy

EFTEM:

energy-filtering TEM

EELS:

electron energy-loss spectroscopy

SBI:

sterol biosynthesis inhibitors

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

    Marcos A. Vannier-Santos Ph.D.

  2. Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

    Ulysses Lins

Authors
  1. Marcos A. Vannier-Santos Ph.D.
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  2. Ulysses Lins
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Correspondence to Marcos A. Vannier-Santos Ph.D..

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Published: August 4, 2001

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Vannier-Santos, M.A., Lins, U. Cytochemical techniques and energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy applied to the study of parasitic protozoa. Biol Proced Online 3, 8–18 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1251/bpo19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1251/bpo19

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Biological Procedures Online

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