title: Evidence for expression of a Ras-like and a stage specific GTP binding homologous protein by Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria, undergoes an asexual multiplication in man and a sexual one in mosquito. The asexual cycle can be reproduced in vitro. The present work reports the isolation of a small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein in Plasmodium falciparum extracts. This protein, a 21,000 M(r) Ras-like molecule, was revealed by western blotting in each stage of the intraerythrocytic asexual life cycle. Conversely, a 46,000 M(r) G alpha subunit of a heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein was found to be expressed during a short period from mature schizonts to free merozoites. In order to provide additional evidence for the presence of these GTP-binding proteins in Plasmodium falciparum cultures and also to determine the kinetics, we tested two toxins that are involved in the cellular signalling transduction. We observed that pertussis toxin increases P. falciparum growth, whereas cholera toxin induces crisis forms, and subsequent parasite death within the following 24 h.
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie--Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (DP3M), CNRS EP J0078 Faculté de Médecine de Grenoble, Université Joseph Fourier, La Tronche, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thélu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bracchi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burnod
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ambroise-Thomas
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual; D015398:Signal Transduction; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000494:pharmacology; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D018631:ras Proteins