Ultrastructure of the cyst wall of Sarcocystis species with canine final host in Japan.

The ultrastructural characteristics of cyst wall are a useful clue to the identification of Sarcocystis species. Among the eight species examined, S. cruzi, S. sp. 1 from sheep and S. hircicanis had the thin cyst wall with long, tapered hair-like villar protrusions. The protrusions arose from the dome-like bulges of cyst wall and ran parallel to the surface. No clear ramification was observed in the tip of protrusion of these three species. S. tenella, S. capracanis, S. miescheriana, S. fayeri, and S. sp. 2 from Japanese deer had the thick cyst wall. The villar protrusions of the former three species were palisade-like in shape, but those of S. tenella and S. Capracanis were slightly thinner than those of S. miescheriana. The villar protrusions of S. fayeri and S. sp. 2 were finger-like, but those of the former species were shorter and thicker than those of the latter species. S. fayeri had many minute depressions on the surface of protrusion in a reticular pattern. Microtubules in the core of protrusion were seen in S. miescheriana, S. fayeri and S. sp. 2 but not in the other species. Microdepressions were observed on the surface of cyst wall among the protrusions in all the Sarcocystis species examined, but their function was not made clear.