Intracellular Plasmodium aquaporin 2 is important for sporozoite production in the mosquito vector and malaria transmission.

ABSTRACT: Malaria remains a devastating disease and, with current measures failing to control its transmission, there is a need for novel interventions. A family of proteins that have long been pursued as potential intervention targets are aquaporins, which are channels facilitating the movement of water and other solutes across membranes. We identify an aquaporin in malaria parasites and demonstrate that it is important for completion of Plasmodium development in the mosquito vector. Disruption of AQP2 in the human parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei blocks sporozoite production inside oocysts established on mosquito midguts, greatly limiting parasite infection of salivary glands and transmission to a new host. In vivo epitope tagging of AQ

SUBMITTER: Bailey AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10622946 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature