The molecular interactions between host and liver stage malaria parasites through the parasitophorous vacuole membrane.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860311
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases (2014); Jikei University School of Medicine (2013)
• Principal Investigator: ANNOURA Takeshi 国立感染症研究所, その他部局等, 研究員 (90407239)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: マラリア / 原虫 / 寄生胞膜 / 肝内型

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Malaria is a major global health burden, and Plasmodium is the causative agents of malaria. In order to reveal the molecular interplay between Plasmodium and the host, we focus on plasmodium liver stage development especially parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM), which an interface membrane between parasite and host. Loss-of-function analyses have revealed that B9 is specifically expressed in Plasmodium liver stages and that is important to parasite development in both rodent and human Plasmodium. And also b9 is readily transcribed in sporozoites, B9 protein is present after hepatocyte invasion. Moreover we show that B9 is localized on the parasite plasma membrane where it plays an important role in establishment and maintenance of PVM inside the hepatocyte. Based on the structural analyses of B9 4-cysteine domain, we propose that the presence of the four positionally conserved cysteine residues, are diagnostic for this domain and B9 belong to the 6-Cys family-related proteins.

Free Research Field

原虫