P. falciparum PEBP protein is dispensable during asexual and sexual stages of development

Malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by protozoan parasite Plasmodium and transmitted by mosquitoes, remains a significant threat to health worldwide, especially in the face of emerging drug resistance. Despite extensive effort having been devoted to examining the asexual phase of the parasite, the sexual change biology is understudied. Lipid-binding proteins, like phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs), play significant roles in cell signal transduction and development in several organisms. In P. falciparum, PfPEBP is highly expressed in gametocytes and may be in involved parasite sexual reproduction. Our results showed that PfPEBP is expressed in sexual and asexual stages but is not essential for parasite growth, gametocyte development and gamete formation. However, anti-PfPEBP antibodies were found in malaria-endemic region individuals, suggesting it is immunogenic. Previous studies also indicate that PfPEBP can bind to the mosquito midgut, which indicates its possible role in transmission. Although PfPEBP is not seemingly essential for parasite development in the human host, its role in later stages of parasite development is a worthwhile area of research. To understand how it contributes to the parasite lifecycle could open new avenues for malaria transmission-blocking interventions.