Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile

Understanding serum lipids is crucial for maintaining cardiovascular health and preventing heart disease and stroke.
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...

Membrane Lipids

Membrane Lipids

Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...

Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body

Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body

Fats and lipids are crucial components in the human body. Some lipid-derived compounds, such as fat-soluble vitamins, eicosanoids, lipoproteins, and glycolipids, also play unique roles to support various biological processes .
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin,...

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is...

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane Fluidity

Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Identification of genetic markers of quinine partial resistance in Plasmodium falciparum.

Nature microbiology·2026

Same author

Gain-of-function PfAAT1 mutations compensate for impaired PfCRT function in Plasmodium falciparum.

Research square·2026

Same author

The CCCH-type zinc-finger <i>Pf</i> MD3 promotes translation for malaria parasite transmission.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

ATAD3 megadalton complex in Plasmodium falciparum is essential for mitochondrial and cellular viability.

PLoS pathogens·2026

Same author

Effect of Stereochemistry on the Antiplasmodial Activity and Metabolomic Profile of Novel Tadalafil Analogues.

ACS medicinal chemistry letters·2026

Same author

Dynamic regulation of long non-coding RNAs across asexual and gametocyte development in <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

A viral ORFeome library for systems-level genetic dissection of host-pathogen interactions.

Cell·2026

Same journal

Co-option of lysosomal machinery shapes the evolution of the intracellular photosymbiosis supporting coral reefs.

Cell·2026

Same journal

LEF1 and niche factors determine T cell stemness across chronic diseases.

Cell·2026

Same journal

Recurrent patterns of TOP1-mediated neuronal genomic damage shared by major neurodegenerative disorders.

Cell·2026

Same journal

Four-dimensional molecular mapping from a spatial snapshot reveals the dynamics of hair follicle organogenesis.

Cell·2026

Same journal

Whole-cell particle-based digital twin simulations from 4D lattice light-sheet microscopy data.

Cell·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: Analysis of Fluorescent-Stained Lipid Droplets with 3D Reconstruction for Hepatic Steatosis Assessment

Author Spotlight: Analysis of Fluorescent-Stained Lipid Droplets with 3D Reconstruction for Hepatic Steatosis Assessment

Published on: June 2, 2023

Less Lipid, More Commitment.

Manuel Llinás¹

¹Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, and Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

|December 16, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A host lipid, lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC), regulates sexual commitment in malaria parasites, a crucial step for transmission to mosquitoes and parasite eradication efforts.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches

Published on: September 1, 2023

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: Analysis of Fluorescent-Stained Lipid Droplets with 3D Reconstruction for Hepatic Steatosis Assessment

Author Spotlight: Analysis of Fluorescent-Stained Lipid Droplets with 3D Reconstruction for Hepatic Steatosis Assessment

Published on: June 2, 2023

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches

Author Spotlight: Advancing Cell Membrane Biophysics - Exploring Interactions and Challenges Through Experimental and Computational Approaches

Published on: September 1, 2023

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Area of Science:

Malariology
Parasitology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Sexual differentiation is essential for malaria parasite transmission between humans and mosquitoes.
Targeting sexual differentiation offers a potential strategy for malaria eradication.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify host-derived factors that regulate sexual commitment in the malaria parasite.

Main Methods:

The study investigated the role of host-derived lipids in parasite sexual development.
Lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) was identified as a key regulatory molecule.

Main Results:

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) was found to regulate the sexual commitment of the malaria parasite.
This finding sheds light on the molecular mechanisms governing parasite transmission.

Conclusions:

Host-derived lipids, specifically LysoPC, play a critical role in malaria parasite sexual differentiation.
Understanding these interactions could lead to novel interventions against malaria transmission.