Unraveling heme detoxification in the malaria parasite by in situ correlative X-ray fluorescence microscopy and soft X-ray tomography.

ABSTRACT: A key drug target for malaria has been the detoxification pathway of the iron-containing molecule heme, which is the toxic byproduct of hemoglobin digestion. The cornerstone of heme detoxification is its sequestration into hemozoin crystals, but how this occurs remains uncertain. We report new results of in vivo rate of heme crystallization in the malaria parasite, based on a new technique to measure element-specific concentrations at defined locations in cell ultrastructure. Specifically, a high resolution correlative combination of cryo soft X-ray tomography has been developed to obtain 3D parasite ultrastructure with cryo X-ray fluorescence microscopy to measure heme concentrations. Our results are consistent with a model for crystallization via the heme detoxification protein. Our meas

SUBMITTER: Kapishnikov S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5548722 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature