Plasmodium falciparum sexual parasites regulate infected erythrocyte permeability.

ABSTRACT: To ensure the transport of nutrients necessary for their survival, Plasmodium falciparum parasites increase erythrocyte permeability to diverse solutes. These new permeation pathways (NPPs) have been extensively characterized in the pathogenic asexual parasite stages, however the existence of NPPs has never been investigated in gametocytes, the sexual stages responsible for transmission to mosquitoes. Here, we show that NPPs are still active in erythrocytes infected with immature gametocytes and that this activity declines along gametocyte maturation. Our results indicate that NPPs are regulated by cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling cascade, and that the decrease in cAMP levels in mature stages results in a slowdown of NPP activity. We also show that NPPs facilitate the uptake of artemisinin deri

SUBMITTER: Bouyer G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7708629 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature