Multiple genetic loci define Ca++ utilization by bloodstream malaria parasites

Autor: Liana Apolis, Joanna Olivas, Prakash Srinivasan, Ambuj K. Kushwaha, Sanjay A. Desai
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Genomics, Vol 20, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2019)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1471-2164
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5418-y
Popis: Abstract Background Bloodstream malaria parasites require Ca++ for their development, but the sites and mechanisms of Ca++ utilization are not well understood. We hypothesized that there may be differences in Ca++ uptake or utilization by genetically distinct lines of P. falciparum. These differences, if identified, may provide insights into molecular mechanisms. Results Dose response studies with the Ca++ chelator EGTA (ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid) revealed stable differences in Ca++ requirement for six geographically divergent parasite lines used in previous genetic crosses, with the largest difference seen between the parents of the HB3 x Dd2 cross. Genetic mapping of Ca++ requirement yielded complex inheritance in 34 progeny clones with a single significant locus on chromosome 7 and possible contributions from other loci. Although encoded by a gene in the significant locus and a proposed Ca++ target, PfCRT (P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter), the primary determinant of clinical resistance to the antimalarial drug chloroquine, does not appear to contribute to this quantitative trait. Stage-specific application of extracellular EGTA also excluded determinants associated with merozoite egress and erythrocyte reinvasion. Conclusions We have identified differences in Ca++ utilization amongst P. falciparum lines. These differences are under genetic regulation, segregating as a complex trait in genetic cross progeny. Ca++ uptake and utilization throughout the bloodstream asexual cycle of malaria parasites represents an unexplored target for therapeutic intervention.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje