Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis, MA, Brazil.
Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis, MA, Brazil.
Ultramicroscopy. 2020 Feb;209:112862. doi: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2019.112862. Epub 2019 Oct 31.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used in this work to investigate the ultrastructural and mechanical characteristics of Haemonchus contortus, the major gastrointestinal nematode that infects small ruminants worldwide. The biophysical characterization of this species is extremely important in order to reveal mechanisms of action of drugs and to classify its ultrastructure and biomechanical properties. High-resolution topographic images by AFM as well as data on biomechanical properties of cuticles were obtained at different stages of H. contortus. The results reveal details of the mechanical and structural properties of this nematode never observed before for nematodes parasite with other microscope techniques. Qualitative and quantitative reductions in the elasticity of the larvae stage egg were compared with those of the morulae stage, and the increased adhesion of unsheathed L were compared with the same stage of sheathed larvae. The results presented here open possibilities for understanding the mechanisms of drug and biomolecular actions that can be used to control infections caused by H. contortus.
本工作采用原子力显微镜（AFM）研究了 Haemonchus contortus 的超微结构和力学特性，Haemonchus contortus 是全世界感染小反刍动物的主要胃肠道线虫。该物种的生物物理特性的表征对于揭示药物作用机制和分类其超微结构和生物力学特性非常重要。在 Haemonchus contortus 的不同阶段，通过 AFM 获得了高分辨率的形貌图像以及有关表皮生物力学特性的数据。结果揭示了该线虫的机械和结构特性的细节，这些细节以前从未通过其他显微镜技术观察到过。与处于多细胞期的卵相比，幼虫期卵的弹性出现了定性和定量的降低，与鞘内幼虫相同阶段相比，无鞘 L 的粘附性增加。这里呈现的结果为理解药物和生物分子作用的机制提供了可能性，这些机制可用于控制由 Haemonchus contortus 引起的感染。
