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In Vivo Assessment of Rodent Plasmodium Parasitemia and Merozoite Invasion by Flow Cytometry
Published on: April 5, 2015
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Plasmodium vivax Strains Use Alternative Pathways for Invasion.
Usheer Kanjee1, Christof Grüring1, Prasad Babar2,3
1Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|September 17, 2020
Summary
Plasmodium vivax malaria parasites use two main pathways to invade red blood cells, the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) and transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1). Studies show varied usage of these pathways across different parasite strains, impacting disease and vaccine strategies.
Area of Science:
- Malariology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Plasmodium vivax employs distinct ligand/receptor interactions for host cell invasion.
- The P. vivax Duffy-binding protein/Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) and P. vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b/transferrin receptor [TfR1] pathways are critical targets for antimalarial therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utilization of DARC and TfR1 invasion pathways by P. vivax isolates.
- To understand the implications of variable receptor usage for P. vivax pathogenesis and vaccine development.
Main Methods:
- Optimization of P. vivax invasion assays using isogenic cultured reticulocytes.
- Employing a receptor blockade approach with diverse P. vivax isolates to assess pathway usage.
Main Results:
- All tested P. vivax isolates demonstrated the ability to utilize both DARC and TfR1 pathways.
- Significant variations in the extent of receptor usage were observed among different isolates.
Conclusions:
- P. vivax exhibits flexible invasion strategies, employing alternative pathways similar to Plasmodium falciparum.
- Understanding these variable invasion mechanisms is crucial for developing effective vaccines and therapeutics against P. vivax malaria.
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