Erythrocyte β spectrin can be genetically targeted to protect mice from malaria.

ABSTRACT: The malaria parasite hijacks host erythrocytes to shield itself from the immune system and proliferate. Red blood cell abnormalities can provide protection from malaria by impeding parasite invasion and growth within the cell or by compromising the ability of parasites to avoid host clearance. Here, we describe 2 N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mouse lines, Sptb^MRI26194 and Sptb^MRI53426 , containing single-point mutations in the erythrocyte membrane skeleton gene, β spectrin (Sptb), which exhibit microcytosis but retain a relatively normal ratio of erythrocyte surface area to volume and are highly resistant to rodent malaria. We propose the major factor responsible for malaria protection is the specific clearance of mutan

SUBMITTER: Lelliott PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5728631 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature