Abstract
The invasion of host cells by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum requires specific protein-protein interactions between parasite and host receptors and an intracellular translocation machinery to power the process. The transmembrane erythrocyte binding protein-175 (EBA-175) and thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) play central roles in this process. EBA-175 binds to glycophorin A on human erythrocytes during the invasion process, linking the parasite to the surface of the host cell. In this report, we show that the cytoplasmic domain of EBA-175 encodes crucial information for its role in merozoite invasion, and that trafficking of this protein is independent of this domain. Further, we show that the cytoplasmic domain of TRAP, a protein that is not expressed in merozoites but is essential for invasion of liver cells by the sporozoite stage, can substitute for the cytoplasmic domain of EBA-175. These results show that the parasite uses the same components of its cellular machinery for invasion regardless of the host cell type and invasive form.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Amino Acids, Acidic / chemistry
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Animals
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Animals, Genetically Modified
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Antigens, Protozoan / genetics
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Antigens, Protozoan / metabolism*
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Carrier Proteins / chemistry
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Carrier Proteins / genetics
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Carrier Proteins / immunology
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Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
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Conserved Sequence
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Cytoplasm / chemistry*
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Cytoplasm / parasitology
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Erythrocytes / metabolism
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Erythrocytes / parasitology
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Glycophorins / metabolism
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Humans
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Models, Biological
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Mutation
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Plasmodium falciparum / genetics
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Plasmodium falciparum / immunology
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Plasmodium falciparum / metabolism*
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Plasmodium falciparum / pathogenicity*
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Protein Transport*
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Protozoan Proteins / chemistry
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Protozoan Proteins / genetics
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Protozoan Proteins / immunology
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Protozoan Proteins / metabolism*
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Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
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Tyrosine / chemistry
Substances
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Amino Acids, Acidic
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Antigens, Protozoan
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Carrier Proteins
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Glycophorins
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Protozoan Proteins
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Recombinant Proteins
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erythrocyte-binding antigen 175, Plasmodium
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thrombospondin-related adhesive protein, protozoan
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Tyrosine