Journal article

Spatial and temporal mapping of the PfEMP1 export pathway in Plasmodium falciparum

PJ Mcmillan, C Millet, S Batinovic, M Maiorca, E Hanssen, S Kenny, RA Muhle, M Melcher, DA Fidock, JD Smith, MWA Dixon, L Tilley

Cellular Microbiology | WILEY | Published : 2013

Abstract

The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, modifies the red blood cells (RBCs) that it infects by exporting proteins to the host cell. One key virulence protein, P.falciparumErythrocyte Membrane Protein-1 (PfEMP1), is trafficked to the surface of the infected RBC, where it mediates adhesion to the vascular endothelium. We have investigated the organization and development of the exomembrane system that is used for PfEMP1 trafficking. Maurer's cleft cisternae are formed early after invasion and proteins are delivered to these (initially mobile) structures in a temporally staggered and spatially segregated manner. Membrane-Associated Histidine-Rich Protein-2(MAHRP2)-containing tether-l..

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Grants

Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health


Funding Acknowledgements

We thank Professors Mike Ryan, Peter Beck, Alan Cowman, Alan Saul, Klaus Lingelbach and Brian Cooke, and Drs Michael Duffy and Tania de Koning-Ward for antibodies and Dr Sarah Frankland for helpful discussions. We thank the Red Cross Blood Service (Melbourne, Australia) for blood products. This work was supported by the National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia and the Australia Research Council (L. Tilley), and NIH Research Project RO1AI047953 (J. Smith). 3D-SIM was performed at the Biological Optical Microscopy Platform, University of Melbourne (http://www.microscopy.unimelb.edu.au/bomp.html).