Pfcerli2, a duplicated gene in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum essential for invasion of erythrocytes as revealed by phylogenetic and cell biological analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTMerozoite invasion of host red blood cells (RBCs) is essential for survival of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Proteins involved with RBC binding and invasion are secreted from dual-club shaped organelles at the apical tip of the merozoite called the rhoptries. Here we characterise P. falciparum Cytosolically Exposed Rhoptry Leaflet Interacting protein 2 (PfCERLI2), as a rhoptry bulb protein that is essential for merozoite invasion. Phylogenetic analyses show that cerli2 arose through an ancestral gene duplication of cerli1, a related cytosolically exposed rhoptry bulb protein. We show that PfCERLI2 is essential for blood-stage growth and localises to the cytosolic ..