In vivo studies support the role of trafficking and cytoskeletal-binding motifs in the interaction of MESA with the membrane skeleton of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells.
In red blood cells (RBCs) infected with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, a 19-residue region of the mature parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (MESA) associates with RBC cytoskeleton protein 4.1R; an interaction essential for parasite survival. This region in MESA is adjacent to a host targeting motif found in other malaria parasite proteins exported to the membrane skeleton. To demonstrate function of these motifs in vivo, regions of MESA fused to a reporter were expressed in malaria parasites. Immunochemical analyses confirmed the requirement for both motifs in the trafficking and interaction of MESA with the cytoskeleton and demonstrates their function in vivo.
Black
Casilda G
CG
NHMRC Program in Malaria, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.
Proellocks
Nicholas I
NI
Kats
Lev M
LM
Cooke
Brian M
BM
Mohandas
Narla
N
Coppel
Ross L
RL
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C028841:erythrocyte membrane band 4.1 protein