The mechanisms of sexual reproduction of malaria parasites

2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20590426
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Parasitology (including Sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: HIRAI Makoto Jichi Medical University, 大学院・医学系研究科, 講師 (50326849)
• Project Period (FY): 2008 – 2010
• Keywords: マラリア原虫 / 比較ゲノム / 受精 / GCS1

Research Abstract

By performing comparative genomics analysis, we identified the malaria orthologue of plant reproduction factor, GCS1 (Generative Cell Specific 1) and named it as PbGCS1. PbGCS1(-) parasites completely lost the fertility, indicating that PbGCS1 is surely functional orthologue of plant GCS1. Our findings indicate that GCS1-based sexual reproduction systems are conserved in various organisms.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Clues to Evolution of the SERA Multigene Family in 18 Plasmodium Species. (2011)
  • Author(s): Arisue N, Kawai S, Hirai M, Palacpac NM, Jia M, Kaneko A, Tanabe K, Horii T.
  • Journal Title: PLoS One. vol.6,No3 Pages: e17775
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The functional domain of GCS1-based gamete fusion resides in the amino terminus in plant and parasite species. (2010)
  • Author(s): Mori T, Hirai M, Kuroiwa T, Miyagishima SY.
  • Journal Title: PLoS One vol.5,No12 Pages: e15957
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Development of experimental cerebral malaria is independent of IL-23 and IL-17. (2010)
  • Author(s): Ishida H, Matsuzaki-Moriya C, Imai T, Yanagisawa K, Nojima Y, Suzue K, Hirai M, Iwakura Y, Yoshimura A, Hamano S, Shimokawa C, Hisaeda H.
  • Journal Title: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Vol.402,No.4 Pages: 790-795
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Production of a transgenic mosquito expressing circumsporozoite protein, a malarial protein, in the salivary gland of Anopheles stephensi (Diptera: Culicidae). (2010)
  • Author(s): Matsuoka H, Ikezawa T, Hirai M
  • Journal Title: Acta Med Okayama. vol.64,No.4 Pages: 233-241
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Evaluation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method as a tool for diagnosis of infection by the zoonotic simian malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi. (2010)
  • Author(s): Iseki H, Kawai S, Takahashi N, Hirai M, Tanabe K, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I.
  • Journal Title: J Clin Microbiol. vol.48,No.7 Pages: 2509-14
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The first case of a class I glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, G6PD Santiago de Cuba (1339 G>A), in a Chinese population as found in a survey for G6PD deficiency in northeastern and central China. (2010)
  • Author(s): Wang J, Matsuoka H, Hirai M, Mu L, Yang L, Luo E.
  • Journal Title: Acta Med Okayama vol.64,No.1 Pages: 49-54
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Fertilization is a novel attacking site for the transmission blocking of malaria parasites. (2010)
  • Author(s): Hirai M, Mori T.
  • Journal Title: Acta Trop vol.114,No.3 Pages: 157-161
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Cross-reactivity in rapid diagnostic tests between human malaria and zoonotic simian malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi infections. (2009)
  • Author(s): Kawai S, Hirai M, Haruki K, Tanabe K, Chigusa Y.
  • Journal Title: Parasitol Int. vol.58,No.3 Pages: 300-2
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Plasmodium HU homolog, which binds the plastid DNA sequence-independent manner, is essential for the parasite's survival. (2009)
  • Author(s): Sasaki N, Hirai M, Maeda K, Yui R, Itoh K, Namiki S, Morita T, Hata M, Murakami-Murofushi K, Matsuoka H, Kita K, Sato S.
  • Journal Title: FEBS Lett. vol.583,No.9 Pages: 1446-50
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Male fertility of malaria parasites is determined by GCS1, a plant-type reproduction factor. (2008)
  • Author(s): Hirai M, Arai M, Mori T, Miyagishima SY, Kawai S, Kita K, Kuroiwa T, Terenius O, Matsuoka H.
  • Journal Title: Curr Biol. vol.18,No.8 Pages: 607-13
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Fertilization of malaria parasite is determined by GCS1, a definitive fertilization factor. (2010)
  • Author(s): 平井誠
  • Organizer: 第33回日本分子生物学会年会、「動植物に共通すアロ認証中核原理を探る」ワークショップ
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸ポートピアホテル(兵庫県)
  • Year and Date: 2010-12-07
• [Presentation] Malaria parasites reproduce by similar manner to flowering plant. (2009)
  • Author(s): 平井誠
  • Organizer: 第9回あわじしま感染症・免疫フォーラム
  • Place of Presentation: 淡路夢舞台国際会議場(兵庫県)
  • Year and Date: 2009-09-08
• [Presentation] 北潔マラリア原虫コハク酸-ユビキノン還元酵素(複合体 II)の遺伝子破壊による表現型解析 (2009)
  • Author(s): 日野明紀菜、平井誠、田中健、松岡裕之
  • Organizer: 第78回日本寄生虫学会
  • Place of Presentation: 法政大学(東京都)
  • Year and Date: 2009-03-27
• [Presentation] Mechanisms of malaria fertilization are highly conserved in various organisms. (2008)
  • Author(s): 平井誠
  • Organizer: JSPS presnts Sweden-Japan joint Seminar
  • Place of Presentation: カロリンスカ研究所(スウェーデン王国)
  • Year and Date: 2008-06-11
• [Presentation] マラリア原虫オオシストスポロゾイト形成に必要なプロテアーゼ (2008)
  • Author(s): 平井誠、川合覚、新井明治、松岡裕之
  • Organizer: 第77回日本寄生虫学会
  • Place of Presentation: 長崎新聞文化ホール(長崎県)
  • Year and Date: 2008-04-02
• [Book] 医学のあゆみ 第230巻2号(光るマラリア原虫) (2009)
  • Author(s): 松岡裕之、平井誠
  • Total Pages: 153-57
  • Publisher: 医歯薬出版株式会社
• [Remarks] ホームページ等
  • URL: http://stke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sigtrans;1/17/ec153
• [Remarks] ホームページ等
  • URL: http://www.u-presscenter.jp/modules/bulletin/index.php?page=article&storyid=209
• [Remarks] ホームページ等
  • URL: http://www.rikkyo.ac.jp/news/2008/05/1017/