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High Yield Purification of Plasmodium falciparum Merozoites For Use in Opsonizing Antibody Assays
Published on: July 17, 2014
Oleic acid is indispensable for intraerythrocytic proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum
F Mi-Ichi1, S Kano, T Mitamura
1Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Abstract:
Serum-derived fatty acids are essential for the intraerythrocytic proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum in humans. We previously reported that only limited combinations of fatty acids can support long-term parasite culture, and palmitic acid (C16:0)/oleic acid (C18:1, n-9), palmitic acid (C16:0)/vaccenic acid (C18:1, n-7), or stearic acid (C18:0) are required in these combinations, implying that these fatty acids are key molecules for intraerythrocytic parasite growth (Mi-Ichi et al. 2006). Here, we analysed profiles of parasitaemia changes as well as morphologies during the erythrocytic cycle and confirmed the importance of C16:0 and C18:1, n-9. We also provide evidence that C18:1, n-9 but not other C18 monoenoic or dienoic acids maintain the synchronicity of parasite development in serum-free medium when paired with C16:0, resulting in maintained exponential growth. Thus, C18:1, n-9 is indispensable for the intraerythrocytic proliferation of P. falciparum.
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