1. A Thioredoxin Homologous Protein of Plasmodium falciparum Participates in Erythrocyte Invasion
- Author
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Kai Zhang, Chen Qijun, Mats Wahlgren, Peng Huang, Dawei Wang, Wei Wang, Dongchao Zhang, Huijun Lu, and Ning Jiang
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Erythrocytes ,Plasmodium berghei ,Virulence Factors ,030231 tropical medicine ,Immunology ,Plasmodium falciparum ,malaria ,Protozoan Proteins ,Antibodies, Protozoan ,ligand ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Thioredoxins ,Protein Domains ,parasitic diseases ,medicine ,Parasite hosting ,Animals ,Humans ,Malaria, Falciparum ,Mice, Inbred BALB C ,Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular Interactions ,biology ,Novel protein ,Membrane Proteins ,thioredoxin ,Protein superfamily ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,invasion ,Survival Analysis ,Endocytosis ,Cell biology ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,Specific antibody ,030104 developmental biology ,Infectious Diseases ,Parasitology ,Female ,erythrocyte ,Rabbits ,Thioredoxin ,Malaria ,Protein Binding - Abstract
Invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites is required in the life cycle of malarial parasites. Proteins derived from the invasive merozoites are essential ligands for erythrocyte recognition and penetration., Invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites is required in the life cycle of malarial parasites. Proteins derived from the invasive merozoites are essential ligands for erythrocyte recognition and penetration. In this study, we report a novel protein that possesses a Trx domain-like structure of the thioredoxin family and is expressed on the surface of merozoites of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This protein, namely, PfTrx-mero protein, displayed a mutated sequence character at the Trx domain, but with a specific binding activity to human erythrocytes. Specific antibodies to the protein inhibited merozoite invasion into human erythrocytes. Immunization with a homologous protein of Plasmodium berghei strain ANKA also showed significant protection against lethal infection in mice. These results suggested that the novel PfTrx-like-mero protein expressed on the surface of merozoites is an important ligand participating in erythrocyte invasion and a potential vaccine candidate.
- Published
- 2018