Analysis of the conformation and function of the Plasmodium falciparum merozoite proteins MTRAP and PTRAMP.

ABSTRACT: Thrombospondin repeat (TSR)-like domains are structures involved with cell adhesion. Plasmodium falciparum proteins containing TSR domains play crucial roles in parasite development. In particular, the preerythrocytic P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein is involved in hepatocyte invasion. The importance of these domains in two other malaria proteins, the merozoite-specific thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (MTRAP) and the thrombospondin-related apical membrane protein (PTRAMP), were assessed using near-full-length recombinant proteins composed of the extracellular domains produced in Escherichia coli. MTRAP is thought to be released from invasive organelles identified as micronemes during merozoite invasion to mediate motility and host cell invasion through an interaction with al

SUBMITTER: Uchime O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3346429 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature