Expansion microscopy is a technique used to visualize procyclic form trypanosomes. It allows us to expand the cells by a factor of 4-5, thereby increasing resolution accordingly. The cells are stained with an anti-tubulin antibody and DAPI to visualize the DNA.
This is a thin-section transmission electron microscopy image of a trypanosome. Prominently visible in the middle is the kinetoplast, which is the mitochondrial genome, surrounded by the mitochondrial membranes.
A de-noised cryo-electron tomography image of the TAC (Tripartite Attachment Complex) region of a trypanosome. BB, basal body; pBB, pro-basal body; Ax, axoneme; kDNA, kinetoplast DNA; MTQ, microtubule quartet; and FP, flagellar pocket.
Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream form cells