title: Proteomic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum schizonts reveals heparin-binding merozoite proteins.
abstract: The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum utilizes host glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) as receptors for erythrocyte invasion and intravascular sequestration. Heparin and heparan sulfate (HS) are GAGs which can block erythrocyte invasion of the P. falciparum merozoite, albeit the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Characterization of these heparin-binding merozoite proteins and key ligands in the host-parasite interplay will lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of erythrocyte invasion by malaria parasites. Here, schizont-derived proteins that bind heparin were enriched by affinity chromatography, and 6062 peptides from 811 P. falciparum-derived proteins were identified by two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/LC-MS/MS). The proteins were categorized into 14 functional groups ranging from pathogenesis, protein catabolic process to signal transduction. Proteins with predominant peptide counts were found to mainly originate from the rhoptry organelle of merozoites and the parasitized erythrocyte membrane. The profile of the heparin/HS-binding proteome of P. falciparum suggests they have important functions in the biology of the parasite.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Xian Da Lu 5333, Changchun 130062, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Xianyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Jigang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wahlgren
authors.forename: Qijun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D020543:Proteome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D052939:Schizonts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D020543:Proteome; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D006493:Heparin