The exported protein PbCP1 localises to cleft-like structures in the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 26;8(4):e61482. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061482. Print 2013.

Abstract

Protein export into the host red blood cell is one of the key processes in the pathobiology of the malaria parasite Plasmodiumtrl falciparum, which extensively remodels the red blood cell to ensure its virulence and survival. In this study, we aimed to shed further light on the protein export mechanisms in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei and provide further proof of the conserved nature of host cell remodeling in Plasmodium spp. Based on the presence of an export motif (R/KxLxE/Q/D) termed PEXEL (Plasmodium export element), we have generated transgenic P. berghei parasite lines expressing GFP chimera of putatively exported proteins and analysed one of the newly identified exported proteins in detail. This essential protein, termed PbCP1 (P. berghei Cleft-like Protein 1), harbours an atypical PEXEL motif (RxLxY) and is further characterised by two predicted transmembrane domains (2TMD) in the C-terminal end of the protein. We have functionally validated the unusual PEXEL motif in PbCP1 and analysed the role of the 2TMD region, which is required to recruit PbCP1 to discrete membranous structures in the red blood cell cytosol that have a convoluted, vesico-tubular morphology by electron microscopy. Importantly, this study reveals that rodent malaria species also induce modifications to their host red blood cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cytosol / parasitology*
  • Cytosol / ultrastructure
  • Erythrocytes / parasitology*
  • Erythrocytes / ultrastructure
  • Gene Expression
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Life Cycle Stages / genetics
  • Malaria / parasitology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Plasmodium berghei / genetics
  • Plasmodium berghei / metabolism*
  • Plasmodium berghei / ultrastructure
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein Transport
  • Protozoan Proteins / chemistry*
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (533811) and Deakin University's Central Research Grants Scheme. S.H. acknowledges support from the Alfred Deakin Fellowship Scheme. TdKW is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.