Overexpression of Plasmodium berghei ATG8 by Liver Forms Leads to Cumulative Defects in Organelle Dynamics and to Generation of Noninfectious Merozoites.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium parasites undergo continuous cellular renovation to adapt to various environments in the vertebrate host and insect vector. In hepatocytes, Plasmodium berghei discards unneeded organelles for replication, such as micronemes involved in invasion. Concomitantly, intrahepatic parasites expand organelles such as the apicoplast that produce essential metabolites. We previously showed that the ATG8 conjugation system is upregulated in P. berghei liver forms and that P. berghei ATG8 (PbATG8) localizes to the membranes of the apicoplast and cytoplasmic vesicles. Here, we focus on the contribution of PbATG8 to the organellar changes that occur in intrahepatic parasites. We illustrated that micronemes colocalize with PbATG8-containing structures before expulsion from the parasite. Interfe

SUBMITTER: Voss C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4937212 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature