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Essential function of alveolin PfIMC1g in the Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stage.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Infection by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite is responsible for the most severe form of human malaria. The asexual blood stage of the parasite, which occurs inside human red blood cells, is responsible for the symptoms of malaria and is the target of most antimalarial drugs. Plasmodium spp. rely on their highly divergent cytoskeletal structures to scaffold their cell division, sustain the mechanical stress of invasion, and survive in both the human bloodstream and the mosquito. We investigate the function of a class of divergent intermediate filament-like proteins called alveolins in the clinically important blood stage. The functional role of individual alveolins in Plasmodium remains poorly understood due to pleiotropic effects of gene knockouts and redundancy among alveolins. We evaluate the localization and essentiality of the four asexual-stage alveolins and find that PfIMC1g and PfIMC1c are essential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PfIMC1g is critical for survival of the parasite post-invasion.

SUBMITTER: Cepeda Diaz AK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10653860 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Essential function of alveolin <i>Pf</i>IMC1g in the <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> asexual blood stage.

Cepeda Diaz Ana Karla AK Rudlaff Rachel M RM Farringer Madeline M Dvorin Jeffrey D JD

mBio 20230915 5

<h4>Importance</h4>Infection by the <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> parasite is responsible for the most severe form of human malaria. The asexual blood stage of the parasite, which occurs inside human red blood cells, is responsible for the symptoms of malaria and is the target of most antimalarial drugs. <i>Plasmodium</i> spp. rely on their highly divergent cytoskeletal structures to scaffold their cell division, sustain the mechanical stress of invasion, and survive in both the human bloodstream ...[more]

PMID: 37712738

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