Organization of the exoerythrocytic stage of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. A cytochemical study.

With the osmium tetroxide-zinc iodide impregnation technique the visualization of the internal organization of the exoerythrocytic form of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei was improved. Osmium impregnation leached the ground matrix of the parasite thereby displaying a system of intermediate-sized filaments. Because microtubules are only present as part of the mitotic spindle and as remnants of the sporozoite cytoskeleton, the observed intermediate-sized filaments comprise most of the cytoskeletal organization of the liver stage malaria parasite.