title: Imaging Plasmodium falciparum-infected ghost and parasite by atomic force microscopy.
abstract: Atomic force microscopy was used to image the membrane cytoskeleton network of normal and P. falciparum-infected ghosts. The membrane cytoskeleton network was examined in air-dried ghost preparations from normal and infected cells. We found that the spectrin network was changed in infected ghosts. The thickness of the normal red cell membrane was about 15.05 +/- 2.27 nm, while the thickness of the P. falciparum-infected membrane was found to be 22.97 +/- 3.84 nm. The ghost containing ring stage parasites exhibited areas of particle-like protrusions ranging in size from 0.2 to 0.7 micron. The surface of the P. falciparum parasite was also imaged in air-dried samples, showing the existence of a large protrusion extending from the parasite surface.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeuschi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013049:Spectrin / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D013049:Spectrin