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Published on: December 4, 2015
Glucose transport in malaria infected erythrocytes
1Laborotory of Biology, Osaka Institute of Technology, Ohmiya, Asahi-ku, Osaka 535, Japan.
Abstract:
Intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium spend much of the cell cycle inside the vertebrate host's erythrocytes. Recent studies on the metabolism of D-glucose in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes have suggested that the parasite does not depend on the glycolytic activity of the host erythrocyte. Kazuyuki Tanabe describes how the intraerythrocytic parasite acquires extracellular D-glucose from the host and the pathways through which the sugar crosses the membranes of both the parasite and the host eruthrocyte. It appears that the parasite adapts itself to the host's physiological environment and modifies the functions of the host erythrocyte to be able to complete intraerythrocytic development.
Related Concept Videos
Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Malaria
Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine
Symbiosis
Secondary Active Transport
Secondary Active Transport

