Molecular interactions governing host-specificity of blood stage malaria parasites

Current Opinion in Microbiology
Erik J ScullyManoj T Duraisingh

Abstract

Non-human primates harbor diverse species of malaria parasites, including the progenitors of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Cross-species transmission of some malaria parasites-most notably the macaque parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi-continues to this day, compelling the scientific community to ask whether these zoonoses could impede malaria control efforts by acting as a source of recurrent human infection. Host-restriction varies considerably among parasite species and is governed by both ecological and molecular variables. In particular, the efficiency of red blood cell invasion constitutes a prominent barrier to zoonotic emergence. Although proteins expressed upon the erythrocyte surface exhibit considerable diversity both within and among hosts, malaria parasites have adapted to this heterogeneity via the expansion of protein families associated with invasion, offering redundant mechanisms of host cell entry. This molecular toolkit may enable some parasites to circumvent host barriers, potentially yielding host shifts upon subsequent adaptation. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the molecular determinants of host-specificity, as well as the mechanisms that malaria parasites use to overcome these restriction...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 29, 2019·Genome Biology and Evolution·Andreina I CastilloEric Lyons
Nov 7, 2019·Briefings in Functional Genomics·Lisa Ranford-Cartwright, Elena Gómez-Díaz
May 26, 2018·Nature Microbiology·Jane M Carlton
Aug 22, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Dorothy E LoyBeatrice H Hahn
Mar 31, 2021·Scientific Reports·Laty G ThiamGordon A Awandare
Aug 7, 2021·Pathogens·Jing-Wen HangBenoit Malleret
Jul 2, 2021·Chemical Reviews·Kamalakannan VijayanAlexis Kaushansky

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