Passage of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense through the peritrophic membrane of Glossina morsitans morsitans

Abstract

THE developmental cycle of African sleeping sickness trypanosomes in tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) as described by Robertson¹ has recently been questioned², especially the route whereby trypanosomes get from within the mid-gut of the fly to the salivary glands, where they develop into forms capable of infecting fresh mammalian hosts. We have shown² that trypanosomes developing in the mid-gut of Glossina morsitans morsitans, which are usually regarded as possessing low penetrative powers, are able to penetrate and pass through the gut cells of the fly. We present here more evidence of the penetrative powers of the fly mid-gut forms of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense—penetration of the peritrophic membrane of G. m. morsitans before their penetration of the gut cells.