The avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum causes marked structural changes on the surface of its host erythrocyteEriko Nagao, Takayuki Arie, David W. Dorward,Rick M. Fairhurst, and James A. Dvorak
Abstract: Using a combination of atomic force, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we found that avian erythrocytes infected with the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum develop ~60 nm wide and ~430 nm long furrow-like structures on the surface. Furrows begin to appear during the early trophozoite stage of the parasite’s development. They remain constant in size and density during the course of parasite maturation and are uniformly distributed in random orientations over the erythrocyte surface. In addition, the density of furrows is directly proportional to the number of parasites contained within the erythrocyte. These findings suggest that parasite-induced intraerythrocytic processes are involved in modifying the surface of host erythrocytes. These processes may be analogous to those of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum, which induces knob-like protrusions that mediate the pathogenic adherence of parasitized erythrocytes to microvessels. Although P. gallinaceum-infected erythrocytes do not seem to adhere to microvessels in the host chicken, the furrows might be involved in the pathogenesis of P. gallinaceum infections by some other mechanism involving host-pathogen interactions.
Leer más en: J Struct Biol. 2008 June; 162(3): 460–467.
From my vantage this is an interesting paper as it describes with very beautiful techniques the presence of modifications of the infected chickens rbc membrane. But it states, unlike falciparum, that these modifications do not cause adherence.
ResponderEliminarRecently under the tutelage of Michael Cranfield, Tom McCutchan and Nola Parsons we have examined with our RDT the penguins of South Africa infected with P. relictum and P.elongatum. Many of these died.
We have been also informed by Dr, Collins that P.elongatum ” is not a species one would suspect to be involved in a cycle between chickens and penguins.”
The manuscript submitted to your blog mentions that only Babesia bovis has membrane modifications. It is interesting that this is the only Babesia species we can detect with our monoclonalantibodies.
I think this paper will be fun to discuss in your group.
Michael T. Makler, MD
www.malariaantibodies.com
Thanks for posting! I enjoyed reading it; you are a great author. tik tok video
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