Decreased capacity to infect is not correlated with a loss of metacyclic promastigotes.

<p>BMMø were infected at a 1∶10 (cell/parasite) ratio with non-purified promastigotes submitted to 4 (<b>A</b>), 21 (<b>B</b>) or 31 (<b>C</b>) successive <i>in vitro</i> passages with 5% or 10% of Ficoll-purified parasites or without (Mock). As a control, BMMø were infected with a naturally attenuated strain in the same conditions (<b>D</b>). Data were acquired by FACScalibur cytometer and analyzed by FlowJo software. Two independent experiments were performed; one representative experiment is shown. The mean and standard deviation are shown. **<i>P</i><0,01.