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A Co-ligand Complex Anchors Plasmodium falciparum Merozoites to the Erythrocyte Invasion Receptor Band 3
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

A Co-ligand Complex Anchors Plasmodium falciparum Merozoites to the Erythrocyte Invasion Receptor Band 3

Xuerong Li, Huiqing Chen, Thein H Oo, Thomas M Daly, Lawrence W Bergman, Shih-Chun Liu, Athar H Chishti and Steven S Oh
The Journal of biological chemistry, v 279(7), pp 5765-5771
13 Feb 2004
PMID: 14630931
url
https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M308716200View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

In Plasmodium falciparum malaria, erythrocyte invasion by circulating merozoites may occur via two distinct pathways involving either a sialic acid-dependent or -independent mechanism. Earlier, we identified two nonglycosylated exofacial regions of erythrocyte band 3 termed 5ABC and 6A as an important host receptor in the sialic acid-independent invasion pathway. 5ABC, a major segment of this receptor, interacts with the 42-kDa processing product of merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP142) through its 19-kDa C-terminal domain. Here, we show that two regions of merozoite surface protein 9 (MSP9), also known as acidic basic repeat antigen, interact directly with 5ABC during erythrocyte invasion by P. falciparum. Native MSP9 as well as recombinant polypeptides derived from two regions of MSP9 (MSP9/Δ1 and MSP9/Δ2) interacted with both 5ABC and intact erythrocytes. Soluble 5ABC added to the assay mixture drastically diminished the binding of MSP9 to erythrocytes. Recombinant MSP9/Δ1 and MSP9/Δ2 present in the culture medium blocked P. falciparum reinvasion into erythrocytes in vitro. Native MSP9 and MSP142, the two ligands binding to the 5ABC receptor, existed as a stable complex. Our results establish a novel concept wherein the merozoite exploits a specific complex of co-ligands on its surface to target a single erythrocyte receptor during invasion. This new paradigm poses a new challenge in the development of a vaccine for blood stage malaria.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
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