Quantification of Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites

Irene Popiel, Marielle C. Gold, Karla S. Booth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

A simple 2-step method to selectively quantify functional bradyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii is described. The method was developed to quantify bradyzoites produced in cell cultures that also contain tachyzoites. The selection step comprises incubation of bradyzoites and tachyzoites in 0.026% pepsin at 37 C for 30 min. This treatment kills all tachyzoites, whereas all bradyzoites survive. A modified plaque assay is then used to quantify the surviving bradyzoites. Plaque assay cultures are scored according to levels of infection that correlate with numbers of bradyzoites added to each well. The assay can detect log differences in the range of 2 x 10°-2 x 104 bradyzoites per sample. This procedure is simple to perform and provides an efficient way of comparing numbers of functional bradyzoites in multiple samples that also contain tachyzoites.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)330-332
Number of pages3
JournalJournal of Parasitology
Volume82
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1996

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Quantification of Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this