malaria
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPhosphorylation of the Canonical Histone H2A Marks Foci of Damaged DNA in Malaria ParasitesPlasmodium falciparum is the deadliest human parasite that causes malaria when it reaches the bloodstream and begins proliferating inside red blood cells, where the parasites are particularly prone to DNA damage. The molecular mechanisms that allow these pathogens to maintain their genome integrity under such conditions are also the driving force for acquiring genome...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyCRISPR/Cas9-Based Knockout of GNAQ Reveals Differences in Host Cell Signaling Necessary for Egress of Apicomplexan ParasitesThe coordinated release of apicomplexan parasites from infected host cells prior to reinvasion is a critical process for parasite survival and the spread of infection. While Toxoplasma tachyzoites and Plasmodium blood stages induce a fast disruption of their surrounding membranes during their egress from host cells, Plasmodium liver stages keep the host cell membrane intact and leave their host cell in host...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceGenetic Markers of Adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum to Transmission by American Vectors Identified in the Genomes of Parasites from Haiti and South AmericaHistorical data suggest that millions of P. falciparum parasite lineages were introduced into the Americas during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which would suggest a paraphyletic origin of the extant isolates in the Western Hemisphere. Our analyses of whole-genome variants show that the American parasites belong to a well-supported monophyletic clade. We hypothesize...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDispensable Role of Mitochondrial Fission Protein 1 (Fis1) in the Erythrocytic Development of Plasmodium falciparumMalaria is responsible for over 230 million clinical cases and ∼half a million deaths each year. The single mitochondrion of the malaria parasite functions as a metabolic hub throughout the parasite’s developmental cycle (DC) and also as a source of ATP in certain stages. To pass on its essential functions, the parasite’s mitochondrion needs to be properly divided and segregated into all progeny during cell division via a process termed...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyRedesigned TetR-Aptamer System To Control Gene Expression in Plasmodium falciparumMalaria elimination efforts have been repeatedly hindered by the evolution and spread of multidrug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The absence of a commercially available vaccine emphasizes the need for a better understanding of Plasmodium biology in order to further translational research. This has been partly facilitated by targeted gene...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNovel Method for the Separation of Male and Female Gametocytes of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum That Enables Biological and Drug DiscoveryThe protozoan Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe form of human malaria. The development of sexual forms (so-called gametocytes) is crucial for disease transmission. However, knowledge of these forms is severely hampered by the paucity of sex-specific markers and the inability to extract single sex gametocytes in high purity. Moreover, the identification of...
Letter to the Editor | Host-Microbe BiologyDoesn’t It All Come Down to Function? How To Correlate VAR2CSA Antibodies with Protection
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Going Native, or the Risk of Overreliance on Recombinant AntigensMary Lopez-Perez works on immunology and pathogenesis of malaria. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Functional antibodies against VAR2CSA in nonpregnant populations from Colombia exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax” by S. Gnidehou, J....
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyInfluence of Plasmodium falciparum Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 5 (PfCDPK5) on the Late Schizont Stage PhosphoproteomeThe malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The P. falciparum parasite proliferates inside red blood cells during the blood stage of infection, and egress from the red blood cell is critical for parasite survival....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIdentification of an Immunogenic Broadly Inhibitory Surface Epitope of the Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein Ligand DomainVivax malaria is the second leading cause of malaria worldwide and the major cause of non-African malaria. Unfortunately, efforts to develop antimalarial vaccines specifically targeting Plasmodium vivax have been largely neglected, and few candidates have progressed into clinical trials. The Duffy binding protein is considered a leading blood-stage vaccine candidate...