Further Studies on the Development of Gamonts and Oocysts of Eimeria magna in Cultured Cells

Abstract

Monolayer, cell-line cultures of embryonic bovine trachea, Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK), and monolayers (RK-1) or aggregates of primary rabbit kidney cells were inoculated with merozoites obtained from rabbits that had been inoculated 3 to 5 1/2 days earlier with Eimeria magna. Merozoites obtained from from rabbits 3 days entered cells and underwent only merogony, whereas 3 1/2-5 1/2-day-old merozoites formed gamonts as well as meronts. Merozoites arising from the first or second meront generation in culture formed another meront generation or gamonts. Third-generation merozoites formed only gamonts. Most merozoites remained within the parasitophorous vacuole of the original host cell and transformed into macro- or microgamonts or meronts. Some such macro- and microgamonts then fused with each other to form larger multinucleated bodies. Such microgamonts formed microgametes, but multinucleate macrogamonts did not form oocysts. Mature microgamonts were 34 microns in diameter, and contained several hundred biflagellate microgametes. Mature macrogamonts measured 29.1 x 21.5 microns, unsporulated oocysts were 31.2 x 22 microns, and sporulated oocysts were 32 x 23.1 microns. Oocysts obtained from cell cultures were sporulated and then inoculated by gavage into rabbits, which passed E. magna oocysts 6--10 days later. Sporozoites, obtained from oocysts produced in culture or from rabbits that had been inoculated with the vitro-produced oocysts, developed to first- and second-generation meronts in MDBK or RK-1 cultures.