Sulfated glycoconjugates as disrupters of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte rosettes

Abstract

Some strains of Plasmodium falciparum form erythrocyte rosettes that are believed to result from a lectin interaction between malaria-infected and uninfected erythrocytes. The sulfated glycoconjugate heparin and certain heparin derivatives have been observed to disrupt rosettes. To investigate this interaction further, we have studied the effects of four sulfated glycoconjugates on 15 fresh isolates of P. falciparum from Papua New Guinea. A broader range of sulfated glycoconjugates has been tested against a laboratory strain. A concentration of 1,000 μg/ml of dextran sulfate (molecular weight [MW] 500,000) was the most potent disrupter of rosettes. Fucoidan, heparin, and dextran sulfate (MW ..