Figure 3

The protein encoded by the novel Leishmania -specific gene localises to the endoplasmic reticulum. Images of an L. major 'Friedlin' promastigote expressing a recombinant GFP-fused version of the protein encoded by the novel CDS. (A) Phase contrast microscopy; scale bar : 10 microns. (B) DAPI-staining of the nucleus (arrowhead) and the single mitochondrial DNA or kinetoplast (arrow). (C) Localisation of the GFP-fused protein viewed in fluorescence. (D) Colour combination of GFP (green) and DAPI (blue) fluorescence. (E) Mitochondrion labeled with Mitotracker™. (F) Merged picture: blue = DNA; red = Mitotracker™; green = GFP-fused protein. The protein localised to a subpellicular, cytoplasmic and perinuclear network that is clearly different from the mitochondrion and closely resembles the endoplasmic reticulum; the latter being identified by expression of the plasmid construct GFP-MDDL that acts as an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal in trypanosomatids [31] [see Additional File 2].