A central role for P48/45 in malaria parasite male gamete fertility.
Fertilization and zygote development are obligate features of the malaria parasite life cycle and occur during parasite transmission to mosquitoes. The surface protein PFS48/45 is expressed by male and female gametes of Plasmodium falciparum and PFS48/45 antibodies prevent zygote development and transmission. Here, gene disruption was used to show that Pfs48/45 and the ortholog Pbs48/45 from a rodent malaria parasite P. berghei play a conserved and important role in fertilization. p48/45- parasites had a reduced capacity to produce oocysts in mosquitoes due to greatly reduced zygote formation. Unexpectedly, only male gamete fertility of p48/45- parasites was affected, failing to penetrate otherwise fertile female gametes. P48/45 is shown to be a surface protein of malaria parasites with a demonstrable role in fertilization.
van Dijk
M R
MR
Laboratory for Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Janse
C J
CJ
Thompson
J
J
Waters
A P
AP
Braks
J A
JA
Dodemont
H J
HJ
Stunnenberg
H G
HG
van Gemert
G J
GJ
Sauerwein
R W
RW
Eling
W
W
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D009033:Culicidae; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D005718:Gametogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015053:Zygote
D000906:Antibodies; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; C422062:P48 protein, Plasmodium berghei; D015800:Protozoan Proteins