Fluorescent lipid uptake and transport in adult Schistosoma mansoni

Fluorescent lipophilic compounds can be used to label the surface membrane of Schistosoma mansoni by adding the compound in small amounts of organic solvents to aqueous medium in vitro. Under these conditions it is difficult to follow routes of distribution of the label. Here we have absorbed nitrobenzoxadiazolamine methylamino-(NBD)-ceramides to positively charged Dowex beads, and incubated the labelled beads with living parasites. The NBD-ceramide transfers to the surface membrane as a patch 50-100 microns in diameter, after which the label can be seen localized in the gut and in a very concentrated form in organelles within the oesophageal gland cells. Subsequently the labelled compound can be found in organelles within other body cells, including subtegumental cells. We show that the labelled ceramide has been transported from the patch in the surface membrane through internal membrane systems to the destination in the gut and oesophageal gland and not transported through the gut via the external medium. A different pattern was observed when NBD-cholesterol was used. The pharynx was rapidly labelled when NBD-cholesterol was added in medium with or without serum or attached to red blood cells only. Diffuse labelling of the surface membrane and oesophageal gland occurred. We have demonstrated a novel route of lipid transport within the parasite. The route requires the surface membrane to have very specialized regions to facilitate such transport.