| Malaria parasites tolerate a broad range of ionic environments and do not require host cation remodeling. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 23347042 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Malaria parasites grow within erythrocytes, but are also free in host plasma between cycles of asexual replication. As a result, the parasite is exposed to fluctuating levels of Na(+) and K(+) , ions assumed to serve important roles for the human pathogen, Plasmodium falciparum. We examined these assumptions and the parasite's ionic requirements by establishing continuous culture in novel sucrose-based media. With sucrose as the primary osmoticant and K(+) and Cl(-) as the main extracellular ions, we obtained parasite growth and propagation at rates indistinguishable from those in physiological media. These conditions abolish long-known increases in intracellular Na(+) via parasite-induced channels, excluding a requirement for erythrocyte cation remodeling. We also dissected Na(+) , K(+) , and Cl(-) requirements and found that unexpectedly low concentrations of each ion meet the parasite's demands. Surprisingly, growth was not adversely affected by up to 148 mM K(+) , suggesting that low extracellular K(+) is not an essential trigger for erythrocyte invasion. At the same time, merozoite egress and invasion required a threshold ionic strength, suggesting critical electrostatic interactions between macromolecules at these stages. These findings provide insights into transmembrane signaling in malaria and reveal fundamental differences between host and parasite ionic requirements. |
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Authors:
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Ajay D Pillai; Rachel Addo; Paresh Sharma; Wang Nguitragool; Prakash Srinivasan; Sanjay A Desai |
Publication Detail:
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Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2013-1-25 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Molecular microbiology Volume: - ISSN: 1365-2958 ISO Abbreviation: Mol. Microbiol. Publication Date: 2013 Jan |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2013-1-25 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8712028 Medline TA: Mol Microbiol Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Copyright Information:
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Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. |
Affiliation:
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From the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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