ABSTRACTRecent reports on the decline of the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies ... more ABSTRACTRecent reports on the decline of the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) indicate a serious threat to malaria control. The endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase ortholog ofPlasmodium falciparum(PfSERCA) has been suggested to be the target of artemisinin and its derivatives. It is assumed that continuous artemisinin pressure will affect polymorphism of the PfSERCA gene (serca) if the protein is the target. Here, we investigated the polymorphism ofsercain parasite populations unexposed to ACTs to obtain baseline information for the study of potential artemisinin-driven selection of resistant parasites. Analysis of 656 full-length sequences from 13 parasite populations in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America revealed 64 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 43 were newly identified and 38 resulted in amino acid substitutions. No isolates showed L263E and S769N substitutions, which were reportedly associated with artemisinin resista...
Triacylglycerol (TAG) serves as a major energy storage molecule in eukaryotes. In Plasmodium, how... more Triacylglycerol (TAG) serves as a major energy storage molecule in eukaryotes. In Plasmodium, however, this established function of TAG appears unlikely, despite detecting previously considerable amount of TAG associated with intraerythrocytic parasites, because plasmodial cells have very little capacity to oxidize fatty acids. Thus, it is plausible that TAG and its biosynthesis in Plasmodium have other functions. As a first step in understanding the biological significance of TAG and its biosynthesis to the intraerythrocytic proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum, we performed detailed characterization of TAG metabolism and trafficking in parasitized erythrocyte. Metabolic labeling using radiolabeled-oleic and palmitic acids in association with serum albumin, which have been shown to be among the serum essential factors for intraerythrocytic proliferation of P. falciparum, revealed that accumulation of TAG was strikingly pronounced from trophozoite to schizont, whereas TAG degradat...
Key Points eBL was positively associated with anti–HRP-II antibodies and inversely associated wit... more Key Points eBL was positively associated with anti–HRP-II antibodies and inversely associated with anti-SE36 antibodies. Anti–HRP-II antibodies suggest that recent malaria infection triggers the onset of eBL; anti-SE36 antibodies suggest long-term infection and immunity.
Transgenic plants are one of the promising systems for the production of human therapeutic protei... more Transgenic plants are one of the promising systems for the production of human therapeutic proteins because of ease of genetic manipulation, lack of potential contamination with human pathogens, low-cost biomass production, and the inherent capacity to carry out most ...
ABSTRACTRecent reports on the decline of the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies ... more ABSTRACTRecent reports on the decline of the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) indicate a serious threat to malaria control. The endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase ortholog ofPlasmodium falciparum(PfSERCA) has been suggested to be the target of artemisinin and its derivatives. It is assumed that continuous artemisinin pressure will affect polymorphism of the PfSERCA gene (serca) if the protein is the target. Here, we investigated the polymorphism ofsercain parasite populations unexposed to ACTs to obtain baseline information for the study of potential artemisinin-driven selection of resistant parasites. Analysis of 656 full-length sequences from 13 parasite populations in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America revealed 64 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 43 were newly identified and 38 resulted in amino acid substitutions. No isolates showed L263E and S769N substitutions, which were reportedly associated with artemisinin resista...
Triacylglycerol (TAG) serves as a major energy storage molecule in eukaryotes. In Plasmodium, how... more Triacylglycerol (TAG) serves as a major energy storage molecule in eukaryotes. In Plasmodium, however, this established function of TAG appears unlikely, despite detecting previously considerable amount of TAG associated with intraerythrocytic parasites, because plasmodial cells have very little capacity to oxidize fatty acids. Thus, it is plausible that TAG and its biosynthesis in Plasmodium have other functions. As a first step in understanding the biological significance of TAG and its biosynthesis to the intraerythrocytic proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum, we performed detailed characterization of TAG metabolism and trafficking in parasitized erythrocyte. Metabolic labeling using radiolabeled-oleic and palmitic acids in association with serum albumin, which have been shown to be among the serum essential factors for intraerythrocytic proliferation of P. falciparum, revealed that accumulation of TAG was strikingly pronounced from trophozoite to schizont, whereas TAG degradat...
Key Points eBL was positively associated with anti–HRP-II antibodies and inversely associated wit... more Key Points eBL was positively associated with anti–HRP-II antibodies and inversely associated with anti-SE36 antibodies. Anti–HRP-II antibodies suggest that recent malaria infection triggers the onset of eBL; anti-SE36 antibodies suggest long-term infection and immunity.
Transgenic plants are one of the promising systems for the production of human therapeutic protei... more Transgenic plants are one of the promising systems for the production of human therapeutic proteins because of ease of genetic manipulation, lack of potential contamination with human pathogens, low-cost biomass production, and the inherent capacity to carry out most ...
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