Study of the internalization of macromolecules in erythrocytes infected by Plasmodium falciparum

The World Health Organization reported in 2015, 214 million cases of malaria distributed worldwide, with approximately 438,000 deaths in the same period. During its life cycle, the malaria parasite invades the erythrocytes of the vertebrate host, where a single parasite reproduces asexually to produce 16 to 32 parasites. The high rate of intra-erythrocytic proliferation is dependent on the uptake of a number of essential nutrients from the host cell cytoplasm and blood plasma. The internalization pathways of macromolecules by the parasite are complex, due to the passage through three membranes, that of the erythrocyte, parasitophorous vacuole, and that of the parasite itself. It is widely recognized that the malaria parasite imports low molecular weight nutrients such as polyols, amino acids, lipids, nucleosides, organic anions and cations from plasma. However, the mechanism used to capture macromolecules continues to be the subject of debate among different groups. For a better understanding of the import of plasma proteins by the parasite, kininogen and plasminogen will be used in this project as a model to further study the uptake of macromolecules, seeking to elucidate the internalization mechanism that allows the parasite to access these proteins. Understanding the cellular mechanisms of protein entry, which can serve as a supplementary source of amino acids for parasite development, may provide new elements for understanding the changes caused in the host by the parasite and a possible intervention in the Plasmodium life cycle in the host. vertebrate can be achieved.

Project details

Basic Science
Immunology

Aug 2016 — Jun 2019

Brazil