Fetuin-A, a hepatocyte-specific protein that binds Plasmodium berghei thrombospondin-related adhesive protein: a potential role in infectivity.

ABSTRACT: Malaria infection is initiated when the insect vector injects Plasmodium sporozoites into a susceptible vertebrate host. Sporozoites rapidly leave the circulatory system to invade hepatocytes, where further development generates the parasite form that invades and multiplies within erythrocytes. Previous experiments have shown that the thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP) plays an important role in sporozoite infectivity for hepatocytes. TRAP, a typical type-1 transmembrane protein, has a long extracellular region, which contains two adhesive domains, an A-domain and a thrombospondin repeat. We have generated recombinant proteins of the TRAP adhesive domains. These TRAP fragments show direct interaction with hepatocytes and inhibit sporozoite invasion in vitro. When the recombinan

SUBMITTER: Jethwaney D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1231124 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature