title: Merozoites of P. falciparum require glycophorin for invasion into red cells.
abstract: The importance of the red cell membrane sialoglycoproteins in the invasion of P. falciparum merozoites has been assessed. Human erythrocytes deficient in glycophorin A (En(a-)cells) or B (S-s-U-, S-s-U+ cells) showed significant resistance to invasion. Treatment of normal erythrocytes with trypsin and chymotrypsin also reduced invasion. These results indicate that determinants carried on glycophorins A, B and C play an essential role in the successful invasion into human red cells. Sugar components present on glycophorin, in particular N-acetyl glucosamine and N-acetyl galactosamine, as shown by specific sugar and antibody inhibition studies, appear to act as important determinants for attachment to the erythrocyte. This implicates a protein(s) on the merozoite surface membrane which has the properties of a lectin.
mesh_terms: D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006021:Glycophorins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006021:Glycophorins; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D014357:Trypsin