Energy storing mechanism in Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15119
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Tokumasu Fuyuki 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 特任准教授 (60733475)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: マラリア / 脂質代謝 / 脂質膜 / エネルギー再利用 / 赤血球

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this project, we found that (1)Plasmodium falciparum (a malaria parasite) stores lipids, membranes and neutral lipids in cytoplasm as an energy source, (2) fractions of long unsaturated fatty acids increased, and (3) unsaturated fatty acid supplemented to the culture media facilitated gametocytegenesis. In addition, glycerol, that is a metabolite of neutral lipids, added to the culture media was used as a glycerol back-born of phospholipids, indicating that glycerol is 're-cycled' for phospholipid synthesis.

These data suggest that P. falciapurm adapts to mostquito environment with low nutrients and temperature by adjusting fatty acid species and recycling stored lipids. These finding could be applied to future research to discover a candidate for transmission blocking agent.

Free Research Field

マラリア感染赤血球および脂質膜の生物物理