Correlation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis with exflagellation in the malaria microgametocyte

Cellular responses to growth factors, hormones, and other agonists have been shown in many animal cell systems to be mediated by the signal transduction cascade controlled by phospholipase C. One such response, calcium mobilization, is regulated by the concerted effect of several specific inositol (poly)phosphates. Another response, protein phosphorylation, is regulated by other phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolysis products. Mature gametocytes are specialized cells primed for transformation into gametes immediately upon removal from the vertebrate bloodstream, thereby initiating the sexual cycle in a vector mosquito. This study showed that PLC hydrolysis products, inositol (1,4,5)triphosphate and diacylglycerol, are correlated with the initial events of flagellar development; they are implicated in synchronizing this crucial transformation for the parasite and hence the continued transmission of the parasite, which leads to this debilitating disease.