Plasmodium falciparum Gametes and Sporozoites Hijack Plasmin and Factor H To Evade Host Complement Killing.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium parasites are the etiological agents of malaria, a disease responsible for over half a million deaths annually. Successful completion of the parasite's life cycle in the vertebrate host and transmission to a mosquito vector is contingent upon the ability of the parasite to evade the host's defenses. The extracellular stages of the parasite, including gametes and sporozoites, must evade complement attack in both the mammalian host and in the blood ingested by the mosquito vector. Here, we show that Plasmodium falciparum gametes and sporozoites acquire mammalian plasminogen and activate it into the serine protease plasmin to evade complement attack by degrading C3b. Complement-mediated permeabilization of gametes and sporozoites was higher in plasminogen-depleted plasma, su

SUBMITTER: Ernest M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10269923 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature