Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.

Liver infection is an obligatory step in malarial transmission, but it remains unclear how the sporozoites gain access to the hepatocytes, which are separated from the circulatory system by the liver sinusoidal cell layer. We found that a novel microneme protein, named sporozoite microneme protein e...

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Main Authors: Tomoko Ishino, Kazuhiko Yano, Yasuo Chinzei, Masao Yuda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2004-01-01
Series:PLoS Biology
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC314464?pdf=render
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spelling doaj-4bee6bcbd90443a8ad5a22fde09d342c2021-07-02T10:55:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852004-01-0121E410.1371/journal.pbio.0020004Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.Tomoko IshinoKazuhiko YanoYasuo ChinzeiMasao YudaLiver infection is an obligatory step in malarial transmission, but it remains unclear how the sporozoites gain access to the hepatocytes, which are separated from the circulatory system by the liver sinusoidal cell layer. We found that a novel microneme protein, named sporozoite microneme protein essential for cell traversal (SPECT), is produced by the liver-infective sporozoite of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei. Targeted disruption of the spect gene greatly reduced sporozoite infectivity to the liver. In vitro cell invasion assays revealed that these disruptants can infect hepatocytes normally but completely lack their cell passage ability. Their apparent liver infectivity was, however, restored by depletion of Kupffer cells, hepatic macrophages included in the sinusoidal cell layer. These results show that malarial sporozoites access hepatocytes through the liver sinusoidal cell layer by cell traversal motility mediated by SPECT and strongly suggest that Kupffer cells are main routes for this passage. Our findings may open the way for novel malaria transmission-blocking strategies that target molecules involved in sporozoite migration to the hepatocyte.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC314464?pdf=render
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Tomoko Ishino
Kazuhiko Yano
Yasuo Chinzei
Masao Yuda
spellingShingle Tomoko Ishino
Kazuhiko Yano
Yasuo Chinzei
Masao Yuda
Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
PLoS Biology
author_facet Tomoko Ishino
Kazuhiko Yano
Yasuo Chinzei
Masao Yuda
author_sort Tomoko Ishino
title Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
title_short Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
title_full Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
title_fullStr Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
title_full_unstemmed Cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
title_sort cell-passage activity is required for the malarial parasite to cross the liver sinusoidal cell layer.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS Biology
issn 1544-9173
1545-7885
publishDate 2004-01-01
description Liver infection is an obligatory step in malarial transmission, but it remains unclear how the sporozoites gain access to the hepatocytes, which are separated from the circulatory system by the liver sinusoidal cell layer. We found that a novel microneme protein, named sporozoite microneme protein essential for cell traversal (SPECT), is produced by the liver-infective sporozoite of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei. Targeted disruption of the spect gene greatly reduced sporozoite infectivity to the liver. In vitro cell invasion assays revealed that these disruptants can infect hepatocytes normally but completely lack their cell passage ability. Their apparent liver infectivity was, however, restored by depletion of Kupffer cells, hepatic macrophages included in the sinusoidal cell layer. These results show that malarial sporozoites access hepatocytes through the liver sinusoidal cell layer by cell traversal motility mediated by SPECT and strongly suggest that Kupffer cells are main routes for this passage. Our findings may open the way for novel malaria transmission-blocking strategies that target molecules involved in sporozoite migration to the hepatocyte.
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC314464?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT tomokoishino cellpassageactivityisrequiredforthemalarialparasitetocrosstheliversinusoidalcelllayer
AT kazuhikoyano cellpassageactivityisrequiredforthemalarialparasitetocrosstheliversinusoidalcelllayer
AT yasuochinzei cellpassageactivityisrequiredforthemalarialparasitetocrosstheliversinusoidalcelllayer
AT masaoyuda cellpassageactivityisrequiredforthemalarialparasitetocrosstheliversinusoidalcelllayer
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