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      Gametocytogenesis : the puberty of Plasmodium falciparum

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          Abstract

          The protozoan Plasmodium falciparum has a complex life cycle in which asexual multiplication in the vertebrate host alternates with an obligate sexual reproduction in the anopheline mosquito. Apart from the apparent recombination advantages conferred by sex, P. falciparum has evolved a remarkable biology and adaptive phenotypes to insure its transmission despite the dangers of sex. This review mainly focuses on the current knowledge on commitment to sexual development, gametocytogenesis and the evolutionary significance of various aspects of gametocyte biology. It goes further than pure biology to look at the strategies used to improve successful transmission. Although gametocytes are inevitable stages for transmission and provide a potential target to fight malaria, they have received less attention than the pathogenic asexual stages. There is a need for research on gametocytes, which are a fascinating stage, responsible to a large extent for the success of P. falciparum.

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          A proteomic view of the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle.

          Laurence Florens, Michael Washburn, J. Raine … (2002)
          The completion of the Plasmodium falciparum clone 3D7 genome provides a basis on which to conduct comparative proteomics studies of this human pathogen. Here, we applied a high-throughput proteomics approach to identify new potential drug and vaccine targets and to better understand the biology of this complex protozoan parasite. We characterized four stages of the parasite life cycle (sporozoites, merozoites, trophozoites and gametocytes) by multidimensional protein identification technology. Functional profiling of over 2,400 proteins agreed with the physiology of each stage. Unexpectedly, the antigenically variant proteins of var and rif genes, defined as molecules on the surface of infected erythrocytes, were also largely expressed in sporozoites. The detection of chromosomal clusters encoding co-expressed proteins suggested a potential mechanism for controlling gene expression.
          Article 0 comments Cited 318 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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            Cloning the P. falciparum gene encoding PfEMP1, a malarial variant antigen and adherence receptor on the surface of parasitized human erythrocytes.

            Dror Baruch, Britten Pasloske, Hardeep Singh … (1995)
            Plasmodium falciparum-infected human erythrocytes evade host immunity by expression of a cell-surface variant antigen and receptors for adherence to endothelial cells. These properties have been ascribed to P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), an antigenically diverse malarial protein of 200-350 kDa on the surface of parasitized erythrocytes (PEs). We describe the cloning of two related PfEMP1 genes from the Malayan Camp (MC) parasite strain. Antibodies generated against recombinant protein fragments of the genes were specific for MC strain PfEMP1 protein. These antibodies reacted only with the surface of MC strain PEs and blocked adherence of these cells to CD36 but without effect on adherence to thrombospondin. Multiple forms of the PfEMP1 gene are apparent in MC parasites. The molecular basis for antigenic variation in malaria and adherence of infected erythrocytes to host cells can now be pursued.
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              The large diverse gene family var encodes proteins involved in cytoadherence and antigenic variation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes.

              X Z Su, V M Heatwole, S P Wertheimer … (1995)
              The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum evades host immunity by varying the antigenic and adhesive character of infected erythrocytes. We describe a large and extremely diverse family of P. falciparum genes (var) that encode 200-350 kDa proteins having the expected properties of antigenically variant adhesion molecules. Predicted amino acid sequences of var genes show a variable extracellular segment with domains having receptor-binding features, a transmembrane sequence, and a terminal segment that is a probable submembrane anchor. There are 50-150 var genes on multiple parasite chromosomes, and some are in clustered arrangements. var probes detect two classes of transcripts in steady-state RNA: 7-9 kb var transcripts, and an unusual family of 1.8-2.4 kb transcripts that may be involved in expression or rearrangements of var genes.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal ID (nlm-ta): Malar J
                Title: Malaria Journal
                Publisher: BioMed Central (London )
                ISSN (Electronic): 1475-2875
                Publication date Collection: 2004
                Publication date (Electronic): 14 July 2004
                Volume: 3
                Page: 24
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Groupe de Recherche sur le Paludisme, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, B.P.1274 Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
                [2 ]Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, SW7 2AZ London, UK
                [3 ]Fogarty International Centre, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
                [4 ]UR 77 Paludisme Afro-tropical, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Madagascar
                Article
                Publisher ID: 1475-2875-3-24
                DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-3-24
                PMC ID: 497046
                PubMed ID: 15253774
                SO-VID: 5c4588ca-5d42-4fa0-88b3-31fd8ef21b45
                Copyright © Copyright © 2004 Talman et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.
                History
                Date received : 18 March 2004
                Date accepted : 14 July 2004
                Categories
                Subject: Review

                ScienceOpen disciplines: Infectious disease & Microbiology
                Data availability:
                ScienceOpen disciplines: Infectious disease & Microbiology

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