Journal article
Plasmodium falciparum coronin organizes arrays of parallel actin filaments potentially guiding directional motility in invasive malaria parasites
Maya A Olshina, Fiona Angrisano, Danushka S Marapana, David T Riglar, Kartik Bane, Wilson Wong, Bruno Catimel, Meng-Xin Yin, Andrew B Holmes, Friedrich Frischknecht, David R Kovar, Jake Baum
Malaria Journal | BIOMED CENTRAL LTD | Published : 2015
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gliding motility in Plasmodium parasites, the aetiological agents of malaria disease, is mediated by an actomyosin motor anchored in the outer pellicle of the motile cell. Effective motility is dependent on a parasite myosin motor and turnover of dynamic parasite actin filaments. To date, however, the basis for directional motility is not known. Whilst myosin is very likely orientated as a result of its anchorage within the parasite, how actin filaments are orientated to facilitate directional force generation remains unexplained. In addition, recent evidence has questioned the linkage between actin filaments and secreted surface antigens leaving the way by which motor force is t..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Project Grant
Awarded by Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Young Investigator Program Grant
Awarded by Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Grant
Awarded by NHMRC Dora Lush Scholarships
Awarded by Early Career Fellowship from the NHMRC
Awarded by Future Fellowship from the ARC
Awarded by Wellcome Trust
Funding Acknowledgements
We thank Jacqui Gulbis for ongoing support and advice throughout the projects duration. We also thank Jenna Christensen (for provision of recombinant Fimbrin) and Dennis Zimmerman, Cristian Suarez and Yujie Li for invaluable assistance with TIRF microscopy. We thank Alan Yap for providing P. falciparum genomic DNA, Teresa Carvalho for help with vector construction and Anthony Hodder for providing the pProEX-HTB plasmid. Experimental data presented here was made possible through Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support and Australian Government NHMRC IRIISS. The research was directly supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Project Grant (APP1024678 JB), Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Young Investigator Program Grant (JB DRK and FF, RGY0071/2011), Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Grant (ABH BC MXY DP1094497) and the European Union FP7 network of excellence EVIMalaR (FF). DR was supported by a Pratt Foundation postgraduate scholarship through the University of Melbourne. MAO and FA are supported through NHMRC Dora Lush Scholarships (APP1018002 and APP1055246). MAO was supported with travel awards from The University of Melbourne Overseas Research Experience Scholarship, the Australian Society of Parasitology JD Smyth Postgraduate Travel Award and the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. WW is supported through an Early Career Fellowship (APP1053801) from the NHMRC. FF was supported by the Chica and Heinz Schaller foundation. JB was supported through a Future Fellowship (FT100100112) from the ARC and is currently supported by the Wellcome Trust, through a New Investigator Award (100993/Z/13/Z).