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Expression and processing of Plasmodium berghei SERA3 during liver stages

Schmidt-Christensen, Anja LU orcid ; Sturm, Angelika ; Horstmann, Sebastian and Heussler, Volker T. (2008) In Cellular Microbiology 10(8). p.1723-1734
Abstract

Cysteine proteases mediate liberation of Plasmodium berghei merozoites from infected hepatocytes. In an attempt to identify the responsible parasite proteases, we screened the genome of P. berghei for cysteine protease-encoding genes. RT-PCR analyses revealed that transcription of four out of five P. berghei serine repeat antigen (PbSERA) genes was strongly upregulated in late liver stages briefly before the parasitophorous vacuole membrane ruptured to release merozoites into the host cell cytoplasm, suggesting a role of PbSERA proteases in these processes. In order to characterize PbSERA3 processing, we raised an antiserum against a non-conserved region of the protein and generated a transgenic P. berghei strain expressing a TAP-tagged... (More)

Cysteine proteases mediate liberation of Plasmodium berghei merozoites from infected hepatocytes. In an attempt to identify the responsible parasite proteases, we screened the genome of P. berghei for cysteine protease-encoding genes. RT-PCR analyses revealed that transcription of four out of five P. berghei serine repeat antigen (PbSERA) genes was strongly upregulated in late liver stages briefly before the parasitophorous vacuole membrane ruptured to release merozoites into the host cell cytoplasm, suggesting a role of PbSERA proteases in these processes. In order to characterize PbSERA3 processing, we raised an antiserum against a non-conserved region of the protein and generated a transgenic P. berghei strain expressing a TAP-tagged PbSERA3 under the control of the endogenous promoter. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that PbSERA3 leaks into the host cell cytoplasm during merozoite development, where it might contribute to host cell death or activate host cell proteases that execute cell death. Importantly, processed PbSERA3 has been detected by Western blot analysis in cell extracts of schizont-infected cells and merozoite-infected detached hepatic cells.

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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Cellular Microbiology
volume
10
issue
8
pages
12 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:47549109590
  • pmid:18419771
ISSN
1462-5814
DOI
10.1111/j.1462-5822.2008.01162.x
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
9acc8f82-666e-4fb6-9245-d5d55bf50256
date added to LUP
2017-06-10 23:36:58
date last changed
2024-03-31 11:15:37
@article{9acc8f82-666e-4fb6-9245-d5d55bf50256,
  abstract     = {{<p>Cysteine proteases mediate liberation of Plasmodium berghei merozoites from infected hepatocytes. In an attempt to identify the responsible parasite proteases, we screened the genome of P. berghei for cysteine protease-encoding genes. RT-PCR analyses revealed that transcription of four out of five P. berghei serine repeat antigen (PbSERA) genes was strongly upregulated in late liver stages briefly before the parasitophorous vacuole membrane ruptured to release merozoites into the host cell cytoplasm, suggesting a role of PbSERA proteases in these processes. In order to characterize PbSERA3 processing, we raised an antiserum against a non-conserved region of the protein and generated a transgenic P. berghei strain expressing a TAP-tagged PbSERA3 under the control of the endogenous promoter. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that PbSERA3 leaks into the host cell cytoplasm during merozoite development, where it might contribute to host cell death or activate host cell proteases that execute cell death. Importantly, processed PbSERA3 has been detected by Western blot analysis in cell extracts of schizont-infected cells and merozoite-infected detached hepatic cells.</p>}},
  author       = {{Schmidt-Christensen, Anja and Sturm, Angelika and Horstmann, Sebastian and Heussler, Volker T.}},
  issn         = {{1462-5814}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{1723--1734}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Cellular Microbiology}},
  title        = {{Expression and processing of Plasmodium berghei SERA3 during liver stages}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-5822.2008.01162.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1462-5822.2008.01162.x}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}