Crithidia luciliae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crithidia luciliae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Immunofluorescence staining pattern of anti-dsDNA antibodies on C. luciliae substrate. The kinetoplast, located near the flagellum, is stained, indicating the presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies in a person with SLE. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Discoba |
| Phylum: | Euglenozoa |
| Class: | Kinetoplastea |
| Order: | Trypanosomatida |
| Family: | Trypanosomatidae |
| Genus: | Crithidia |
| Species: | C. luciliae |
| Binomial name | |
| Crithidia luciliae (Strickland) F.G.Wallace & T.B.Clark | |
Crithidia luciliae is a flagellate parasite that uses the housefly, Musca domestica, as a host.[1][2] As part of the family of Trypanosomatidae, it is characterised by the presence of a kinetoplast, a complex network of interlocking circular double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules. The presence of the kinetoplast makes this organism important in the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythamatosus (SLE). By using C. luciliae as a substrate for immunofluorescence, the organelle can be used to detect anti-dsDNA antibodies, a common feature of the disease.[3][4]
Crithidia luciliae is a eukaryotic single-cell protozoan. The family Trypanosomatidae belongs to the order Kinetoplastida and is characterised by the presence of the kinetoplast, a network of interlocking circular DNA in a large mitochondrion. All organisms in Kinetoplastida are parasitic, and the host organism for C. luciliae is the housefly, Musca domestica.[5][6][7]