Molecular basis of the adaptation of Plasmodium knowlesi to human erythrocytes using mutator parasite lines

The infectivity to and pathogenicity of Plasmodium knowlesi, a causative agent of monkey malaria, in human is varied depending on the endemic areas, but the molecular basis to determine this difference is not clearly understood. Because in vitro culture-adapted P. knowlesi does not grow efficiently with human erythrocytes, the hypothesis is that this growth phenotype may explain the observation in the endemic areas. To identify P. knowlesi factor(s) that enable parasites to grow with human erythrocytes, this project generated a panel of mutator parasite lines in which mutation rate would be artificially increased. Continuous in vitro culture with rhesus monkey erythrocytes, in which amount of human erythrocytes are gradually increased, however, did not yield P. knowlesi line with increased growth speed during supported period. Furthermore, it was found that Hackeri line that was isolated from a mosquitoe and maintained in monkey was also able to invade human erythrocytes even the frequency was low.

Project Details

Basic Science

Apr 2015 — Mar 2017

$33,205

Japan

Plasmodium knowlesi