In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 6 ( 2017-05-16)
Abstract:
Malaria is an infectious disease that affects millions of people around the world and remains a major cause of death, especially in Africa. It is caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted by mosquitoes to mammals. Once in the mammal, the parasites infect liver cells, where they multiply. Previous studies have suggested that proteins on the surface of the liver cells and on the parasite affect how Plasmodium infects liver cells. Understanding how these proteins enable the parasites to enter the cells may help researchers to develop treatments that interrupt the parasite life cycle and prevent infection. Manzoni et al. have now investigated how different malaria parasite species interact with liver cells. The main parasite species that infect humans are Plasmodium falciparum in Africa and Plasmodium vivax outside Africa. Manzoni et al. found that P. falciparum and P. vivax infect human liver cells by two different routes: P. falciparum interacts with a liver cell protein called CD81, and P. vivax interacts with a liver cell protein called SR-BI. Further experiments that used mutant forms of malaria parasites that infect mice showed that a parasite protein called P36 determines which liver cell protein the parasite will interact with. The next step is to understand how P36 interacts with the liver cell proteins and to identify other parasite proteins that help Plasmodium to invade cells. In the future, such knowledge may help to develop a highly effective malaria vaccine.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.014
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.016
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.017
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.018
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.019
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.020
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.021
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.25903.022
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2017
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3
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