title: Expression dynamics and physiologically relevant functional study of STEVOR in asexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum infection.
abstract: The extensive modification of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes by variant surface antigens plays a major role in immune evasion and malaria-induced pathology. Here, using high-resolution microscopy, we visualize the spatio-temporal expression dynamics of STEVOR, an important variant surface antigens family, in a stage-dependent manner. We demonstrate that it is exported to the cell surface where protein molecules cluster and preferentially localize in proximity to knobs. Quantitative evidence from our force measurements and microfluidic assays reveal that STEVOR can effectively mediate the formation of stable, robust rosettes under static and physiologically relevant flow conditions. Our results extend previously published studies in P. falciparum and emphasize the role of STEVOR in rosetting, an important contributor to disease pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|Infectious Diseases IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore.|Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitoogy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Himanshu
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1874-0851
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kripa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Madnani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|Infectious Diseases IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ying Bena
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore.|Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jianshu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore.|School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Preiser
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|Infectious Diseases IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore.|Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chwee Teck
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012397:Rosette Formation
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C474556:STEVOR antigen, Plasmodium falciparum