Babesia bigemina: In vitro multiplication of sporokinetes in Ixodes scapularis (IDE8) cells

• Published in: Experimental parasitology Vol. 122; no. 3; pp. 192 - 195
• Main Authors: Ribeiro, Múcio F.B., Bastos, Camila V., Vasconcelos, Maria Mercês C., Passos, Lygia M.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.07.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: anatomy and morphology; Animals; Babesia - genetics; Babesia - growth & development; Babesia - isolation & purification; Babesia bigemina; Biological and medical sciences; biological development; Boophilus microplus; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - parasitology; cell culture; cell invasion; Cell Line; cell lines; developmental stages; disease vectors; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemolymph - parasitology; IDE8 cells; In vitro culture; Ixodes - cytology; Ixodes - embryology; Ixodes - parasitology; Ixodes scapularis; Ixodidae; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; pathogen identification; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Protozoa; Rhipicephalus; Rhipicephalus - parasitology; tick cell lines; ticks; Babesia bigemina; IDE8 cells; In vitro culture; Parasitiformes; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Parasite; In vitro; Ixodes scapularis; Arachnida; Acari; Ixodida; Arthropoda; Invertebrata; Ixodidae; Culture
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2009.03.011

This paper describes the in vitro multiplication process of Babesia bigemina sporokinetes in a cell line (IDE8) from Ixodes scapularis ticks. The inoculum was obtained from hemolymph of engorged females of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks naturally infected with B. bigemina. These ticks had been fed on calves living in a tick endemic farm in Brazil. Microscopic morphological details are shown to describe the development of the parasite in the tick cells; the identity of the parasite was confirmed by a duplex PCR method.