Cytology of the Flagellate Form of Leishmania donovani with Consideration of the Evidence for Abnormal Nuclear Division

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Abstract
4-7 day old cultures of leptomonads of L. donovani in N.N.N. medium were fixed in the following fixative chronic acid (1 g), HgC2, (2 g) glacial acetic acid (2 cc) and water to make the total volume l00cc. Different division stages were studied under the photomicroscope and most of the cells were found to divide mitotically. The total number of chromosomes in this species could be definitely established as 8 from the micrographs of the mitotic metaphase. Besides the normal mitotic division, evidence of abnormal nuclear division was also obtained in about 10% of the organisms. During this type of nuclear division, the chromosome number reduced to 4, representing the haploid nucleus. Sometimes attachment of two cells was also observed. In a few cases 4 nuclei were found inside a single cell, which could be interpreted as the organisms with 4 gametic nuclei in their cytoplasm formed as a result of the normal maturation division.

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