The effect of tunicamycin on Leishmania braziliensis cell growth, cell morphology and ultrastructure

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Abstract
The effect of tunicamycin (TM) on L. braziliensis promastigotes in culture was studied. TM at different concentrations (2, 4, 6 .mu.g/ml) inhibits promastigote growth as the mean generation time of control cells, 36 h, is changed to 41, 46 and 55 h, respectively. Cells remain viable after long exposure to 2 .mu.g/ml of TM and can be cultured in the presence of the drug for several generations. Under these conditions cells tend to round up and many ruffle-like structures appear at the parasite cell surface. At the ultrastructural level, cell coat disappears and the rough endoplasmic reticulum appears distended. Other structures remain unaltered by the drug treatment. The changes in cell morphology are discussed in relation to changes in cell surface morphology. The possible use of these TM-transformed cells as experimental systems for host-parasite studies is also considered. [Implications with respect to the parasitic relationship of this organism with the digestive tract of its insect vector and with the mononuclear phagocyte in the vertebrate host are presented.].