Quantitative studies on trypanosomes in tsetse tissue culture

Abstract Tissues from pupae of Glossina morsitans of various ages were cultured in modified Trager's medium. Cellular outgrowths were produced from explants of proventriculus, brain, and imaginal body wall and large vesicles were extruded from pieces of midgut of young pupae. Complete alimentary tract from older pupae displayed rhythmic contractions for up to 3 weeks. When Trypanosoma brucei and T. congolense in mouse blood were added to hanging drop cultures of tsetse tissues and incubated at 28 C, the organisms multiplied and changed into forms morphologically similar to those found in the tsetse fly midgut. The trypanosomes were maintained for 30 days by serial passage at 5-day intervals. The growth of T. brucei in the presence of different pupal tissues was studied. Of all the tissues tested the complete alimentary tract from pupae older than 21 days gave the best results. Growth also occurred when the trypanosomes were separated from the insect tissue by a semipermeable membrane. The trypanosomes failed to grow in (a) culture medium alone, (b) media containing extracts of alimentary canal and (c) medium in which alimentary tract had been cultured for 3 or 4 days.