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10:22

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Published on: December 4, 2015

Independent translocation of two micronemal proteins in developing Plasmodium falciparum merozoites

Julie Healer1, Simon Crawford, Stuart Ralph

  • 1The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Infection and Immunity
|September 14, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Unprocessed Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (PfAMA1) in Plasmodium falciparum is found in microneme organelles. Processed PfAMA1 moves from the micronemes independently of EBA175 during erythrocyte invasion.

Area of Science:

  • Malariology
  • Cell Biology
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (AMA1) is crucial for Plasmodium falciparum invasion of human erythrocytes.
  • AMA1 undergoes processing, involving the removal of an N-terminal propeptide, before its surface localization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the subcellular localization of unprocessed PfAMA1.
  • To understand the translocation pathway of processed PfAMA1 from the micronemes.

Main Methods:

  • Immunofluorescence microscopy was used to localize unprocessed PfAMA1 within intraerythrocytic schizonts.
  • The study compared the localization and translocation of PfAMA1 with another micronemal protein, EBA175.

Main Results:

  • Unprocessed PfAMA1 was localized to the microneme organelles of the Plasmodium falciparum schizont.
  • The processed form of PfAMA1 translocates from the microneme compartment.

Conclusions:

  • PfAMA1 processing and translocation occur within the micronemes.
  • The translocation of processed PfAMA1 from the micronemes is independent of EBA175.

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