Essential role of membrane-attack protein in malarial transmission to mosquito host.

ABSTRACT: After ingestion of infected blood by a mosquito, malarial parasites are fertilized in the mosquito midgut and develop into motile ookinetes. These ookinetes invade epithelial cells by rupturing the cell membrane and migrate through the cytoplasm toward the basal lamina, on which they develop to oocysts. Here we report that a microneme protein with a membrane-attack complex and perforin (MACPF)-related domain, which we name membrane-attack ookinete protein (MAOP), is produced in the ookinete stage and plays an essential role in midgut invasion by the ookinete. Ookinetes with the MAOP gene disrupted completely lost infectivity to the midgut. After ingestion of blood infected with the disrupted parasite, the midgut epithelium remained intact, making a clear contrast with the damaged midgut ep

SUBMITTER: Kadota K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC524694 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature