Heterogeneous distribution of membrane cholesterol at the attachment site of Cryptosporidium muris to host cells.

Distribution of membrane cholesterol at the attachment site of Cryptosporidium muris was investigated by freeze-fracture cytochemistry using a polyene antibiotic filipin. Since the host plasma membrane enveloped C. muris, the inner and outer membranes were continuous with the parasite plasma membrane at the annular ring and with host membrane at the dense band, respectively. Although many filipin-cholesterol complexes were observed on the plasma membrane of host cells and parasites, a line showing no complexes was evident at the above two membrane junctures. These observations indicate that parasitic infection of C. muris altered the organization of membrane cholesterol.