title: Micronemal transport of Plasmodium ookinete chitinases to the electron-dense area of the apical complex for extracellular secretion.
abstract: Plasmodium ookinetes secrete chitinases to penetrate the acellular, chitin-containing peritrophic matrix of the mosquito midgut en route to invasion of the epithelium. Chitinases are potentially targets that can be used to block malaria transmission. We demonstrate here that chitinases of Plasmodium falciparum and P. gallinaceum are concentrated at the apical end of ookinetes. The chitinase PgCHT1 of P. gallinaceum is present within ookinete micronemes and subsequently becomes localized in the electron-dense area of the apical complex. These observations suggest a pathway by which ookinetes secrete proteins extracellularly.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vinetz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002688:Chitinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002688:Chitinases