Extended Data Fig. 5: IFX staining is specific to T. vivax and concentrated at the boundary of the flagellum–cell body contact.
From: An invariant Trypanosoma vivax vaccine antigen induces protective immunity
a, Immunogold electron microscopy using an anti-IFX mouse monoclonal antibody localized IFX to clusters along the length of the flagellum in mid-sagittal sections (white arrows and bars). b, Enlarged view of the box in a, showing IFX located between the flagellum and cell membranes. c, Anti-IFX particle staining density was quantified along the membrane interface of the ventral flagellum–cell body (IVC), dorsal flagellum (DF) and cell body area on sagittal and transverse sections. Individual data points are shown; bars represent means. d, e, Control electron micrographs of T. vivax parasites stained with an isotype-matched control mouse IgG1 antibody (d) or goat anti-mouse coated gold particles alone (e), showing no accumulation of gold particles. f, Trypanosoma congolense parasites were stained with anti-IFX rabbit polyclonal sera (top panels) or control preimmune sera (bottom panels) followed by fluorescently conjugated anti-rabbit secondary (red) and counterstained with DAPI (blue). No staining of the parasites was observed demonstrating antibody specificity. Flag., flagellum; fm, flagellar membrane; cm, parasite cell membrane. Scale bars, 100 nm (a, b), 150 nm (d, e), 8 μm (f). Representative images of at least two independent experiments are shown.
