Shed EBA-175 mediates red blood cell clustering that enhances malaria parasite growth and enables immune evasion.

ABSTRACT: Erythrocyte Binding Antigen of 175 kDa (EBA-175) has a well-defined role in binding to glycophorin A (GpA) during Plasmodium falciparum invasion of erythrocytes. However, EBA-175 is shed post invasion and a role for this shed protein has not been defined. We show that EBA-175 shed from parasites promotes clustering of RBCs, and EBA-175-dependent clusters occur in parasite culture. Region II of EBA-175 is sufficient for clustering RBCs in a GpA-dependent manner. These clusters are capable of forming under physiological flow conditions and across a range of concentrations. EBA-175-dependent RBC clustering provides daughter merozoites ready access to uninfected RBCs enhancing parasite growth. Clustering provides a general method to protect the invasion machinery from immune recognition

SUBMITTER: Paing MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6305201 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature