The high mortality of Plasmodium falciparum malaria is the result of a parasite ligand, PfEMP1 (P. falciparum) erythrocyte membrane protein 1), on the surface of infected red blood cells (IRBCs), which adheres to the vascular endothelium and causes the sequestration of IRBCs in the microvasculature. PfEMP1 transport to the IRBC surface involves Maurer's clefts, which are parasite-derived membranous structures in the IRBC cytoplasm. Targeted gene disruption of a Maurer's cleft protein, SBP1 (skeleton-binding protein 1), prevented IRBC adhesion because of the loss of PfEMP1 expression on the IRBC surface. PfEMP1 was still present in Maurer's clefts, and the transport and localization of several other Maurer's cleft proteins were unchanged. Maurer's clefts were altered in appearance and were no longer found as close to the periphery of the IRBC. Complementation of mutant parasites with sbp1 led to the reappearance of PfEMP1 on the IRBC surface and the restoration of adhesion. Our results demonstrate that SBP1 is essential for the translocation of PfEMP1 onto the surface of IRBCs and is likely to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of P. falciparum malaria.
Pubmed ID: 16520384 RIS Download
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View all literature mentionsFunctional genomic database for malaria parasites. Database for Plasmodium spp. Provides resource for data analysis and visualization in gene-by-gene or genome-wide scale. PlasmoDB 5.5 contains annotated genomes, evidence of transcription, proteomics evidence, protein function evidence, population biology and evolution data. Data can be queried by selecting from query grid or drop down menus. Results can be combined with each other on query history page. Search results can be downloaded with associated functional data and registered users can store their query history for future retrieval or analysis.Key community database for malaria researchers, intersecting many types of laboratory and computational data, aggregated by gene.
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