Scanning electron microscopy of the sarcocysts of six species of Sarcocystis from reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).

Abstract

Sarcocysts belonging to six species of Sarcocystis were isolated from the musculature of reindeer and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to reveal their surface morphology. Sarcocysts of S. grueneri had thin, strip-like surface processes, cysts of S. rangi had long hair-like processes, and cysts of S. tarandivulpes had short, knob-like processes interconnected by microfolds. Cysts of S. hardangeri had prominent, slanting linguiform processes, whereas the cysts of both S. tarandi and S. rangiferi had upright finger-like surface projections. The processes of S. rangiferi were thicker and longer than those of S. tarandi. SEM of the cysts of these species corroborated and supplemented previous descriptions of their surface morphology, which were based on transmission electron microscopy.