Characterization of a conserved rhoptry-associated leucine zipper-like protein in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
One of the key processes in the pathobiology of the malaria parasite is the invasion and subsequent modification of the human erythrocyte. In this complex process, an unknown number of parasite proteins are involved, some of which are leading vaccine candidates. The majority of the proteins that play pivotal roles in invasion are either stored in the apical secretory organelles or located on the surface of the merozoite, the invasive stage of the parasite. Using transcriptional and structural features of these known proteins, we performed a genomewide search that identified 49 hypothetical proteins with a high probability of being located on the surface of the merozoite or in the secretory organelles. Of these candidates, we characterized a novel leucine zipper-like protein in Plasmodium falciparum that is conserved in Plasmodium spp. This protein is expressed in late blood stages and localizes to the rhoptries of the parasite. We demonstrate that this Plasmodium sp.-specific protein has a high degree of conservation within field isolates and that it is refractory to gene knockout attempts and thus might play an important role in invasion.
Haase
Silvia
S
Research Group Malaria II, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
Cabrera
Ana
A
Langer
Christine
C
Treeck
Moritz
M
Struck
Nicole
N
Herrmann
Susann
S
Jansen
Pascal W
PW
Bruchhaus
Iris
I
Bachmann
Anna
A
Dias
Suzana
S
Cowman
Alan F
AF
Stunnenberg
Hendrik G
HG
Spielmann
Tobias
T
Gilberger
Tim-Wolf
TW
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020043:Genes, Essential; D006801:Humans; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D052940:Merozoites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D015388:Organelles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C065352:rhoptry associated protein, Plasmodium