Journal article
Erythrocyte β spectrin can be genetically targeted to protect mice from malaria
PM Lelliott, HM Huang, MW Dixon, A Namvar, AJ Blanch, V Rajagopal, L Tilley, C Coban, BJ McMorran, SJ Foote, G Burgio
Blood Advances | ELSEVIER | Published : 2017
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, SptbMRI26194 and SptbMRI53426, 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..
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Awarded by Australian National Fabrication Facility
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (grants APP605524, 490037 and 1047082), the Australian Research Council (grants DP12010061 and FL150100106), the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy of Australia and the education investment fund from the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research via the Australian Phenomics Network, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship Program (grant S16706). This work was performed in part at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication in the Victorian node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility. P.M.L. was a recipient of an Australian postgraduate award.