title: Pellicle formation in the malaria parasite.
abstract: The intraerythrocytic developmental cycle of Plasmodium falciparum is completed with the release of up to 32 invasive daughter cells, the merozoites, into the blood stream. Before release, the final step of merozoite development is the assembly of the cortical pellicle, a multi-layered membrane structure. This unique apicomplexan feature includes the inner membrane complex (IMC) and the parasite's plasma membrane. A dynamic ring structure, referred to as the basal complex, is part of the IMC and helps to divide organelles and abscises in the maturing daughter cells. Here, we analyze the dynamics of the basal complex of P. falciparum. We report on a novel transmembrane protein of the basal complex termed BTP1, which is specific to the genus Plasmodium. It colocalizes with the known basal complex marker protein MORN1 and shows distinct dynamics as well as localization when compared to other IMC proteins during schizogony. Using a parasite plasma membrane marker cell line, we correlate dynamics of the basal complex with the acquisition of the maternal membrane. We show that plasma membrane invagination and IMC propagation are interlinked during the final steps of cell division.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heincke
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilcke
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
authors.forename: Tatianna Wai Ying
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spielmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada Center for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg 22607, Germany gilberger@bni-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: Tim W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Gilberger
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D021381:Protein Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D052939:Schizonts / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins
keywords: Apicomplexa; Basal complex; Cell division; Inner membrane complex; Malaria; Plasma membrane