Plasmodium falciparum: Genetic and immunogenic characterisation of the rhoptry neck protein PfRON4 |
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Authors: | Belinda J. Morahan Georgina B. Sallmann Valentina Dubljevic |
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Affiliation: | a Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Vic. 3800, Australia b Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, Vic. 3800, Australia |
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Abstract: | The Apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma and Plasmodium, respectively, cause toxoplasmosis and malaria in humans and although they invade different host cells they share largely conserved invasion mechanisms. Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion of red blood cells results from a series of co-ordinated events that comprise attachment of the merozoite, its re-orientation, release of the contents of the invasion-related apical organelles (the rhoptries and micronemes) followed by active propulsion of the merozoite into the cell via an actin-myosin motor. During this process, a tight junction between the parasite and red blood cell plasma membranes is formed and recent studies have identified rhoptry neck proteins, including PfRON4, that are specifically associated with the tight junction during invasion. Here, we report the structure of the gene that encodes PfRON4 and its apparent limited diversity amongst geographically diverse P. falciparum isolates. We also report that PfRON4 protein sequences elicit immunogenic responses in natural human malaria infections. |
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Keywords: | TgRON4, Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry neck protein 4 PfAMA1, Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 PfRON4, Plasmodium falciparum rhoptry neck protein 4 IFA, indirect immunofluorescence assay GST, glutathione S-transferase DAPI, 4&prime ,6-diamidino-2-phenylinodole dihydrochloride PBS, phosphate buffered saline |
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