Three-dimensional ultrastructure of Plasmodium falciparum throughout cytokinesis
Fig 2
Parasite plasma membrane dynamics throughout segmentation.
A. Renderings of the four different schizont stages inside their host red blood cells through segmentation. Scale bars of renderings interpolated from structure sizes in EM data. At early segmentation, the mother parasite plasma membrane begins to invaginate, forming buds for each nascent merozoite that slightly protrude from the mother parasite mass. At mid-segmentation, these buds are more pronounced and jut out of the mother parasite. By PVM-rupture, the parasite plasma membrane cloaks each new merozoite, which is shaped like an inverted cone. Post-PVM rupture, merozoites fill the red blood cell and take on a more spherical shape. B. Single SEM images of the four schizonts chosen for rendering. We note that for the early segmentation schizont, the increased contrast between the parasite plasma membrane and parasitophorous vacuole is an artifact of sample preparation and provides additional contrast helpful for rendering. Arrows indicate region of PVM rupture.