Behavior of the Kinetoplast of Leishmania tarentolae upon Cell Rupture*

SYNOPSIS. The kinetoplast of L. tarentolae remains attached to the basal body upon cell rupture by detergent lysis, sonication, or hypotonic lysis in 0.02 M Tris buffer (pH 7.9) at 0–4 C. Hypotonic lysis in 0.02 M Tris-HCl-2 mM EDTA at 0–4 C and application of mild shearing forces bring about release of most of the swollen kinetoplasts. The kinetoplast DNA can be seen in phase contrast microscopy as a dark mass contiguous to the kinetoplast membrane directly opposite the basal body. Upon return to isotonic media, the kinetoplast shrinks; the membranes of such kinetoplasts are impermeable to added DNAase.