title: Erythrocyte remodeling by Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in the human host interplay.
abstract: The spread of malaria critically relies on the presence of Plasmodium transmission stages - the gametocytes - circulating in the blood of an infected individual, which are taken up by Anopheles mosquitoes. A striking feature of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes is their long development inside the erythrocytes while sequestered in the internal organs of the human host. Recent studies of the molecular and cellular remodeling of the host erythrocyte induced by P. falciparum during gametocyte maturation are shedding light on how these may affect the establishment and maintenance of sequestration of the immature transmission stages and the subsequent release and circulation of mature gametocytes in the peripheral bloodstream.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n.299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tibúrcio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Nijmegen HB 6500, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sauerwein
authors.affiliation: Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75270 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavazec
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n.299, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: alano@iss.it.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alano
mesh_terms: D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000502:physiology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes; cell mechanical properties; erythrocyte remodeling; malaria transmission; parasite sequestration