Molecular mechanisms of malaria sporozoite motility and invasion of host cells.
Malaria sporozoites have the unique capacity to invade two entirely different types of target cell in the mosquito vector and the vertebrate host during the course of the parasite's life cycle. Although little is known about the specific interaction of the sporozoite with its target cells, two sporozoite proteins, circumsporozoite (CS) and thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP), have been shown to play important roles in the invasion of both cell types. CS protein is a multifunctional protein involved in sporogony, invasion of the salivary glands, the specific arrest of sporozoites in the liver sinusoid, gliding motility of the sporozoite, and hepatocyte recognition and entry. TRAP has been shown to be critical for sporozoite infection of the mosquito salivary glands and liver cells, and is essential for sporozoite gliding motility. This review will focus on the involvement of these molecules in sporozoite motility and the invasion of host cells.
Sultan
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Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA. sultaa01@mcrcr6.med.nyu.edu
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009068:Movement; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000469:parasitology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C079092:MtrB protein, Bacteria; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan