
Abstract The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum invades red blood cells (RBC) and exports parasite proteins to transform the host cell for its survival. These exported proteins facilitate uptake of nutrients and cytoadherence of the infected RBC (iRBC) to endothelial cells of small blood vessels, thus protecting the iRBC from splenic clearance. The parasite protein PfEMP1 and the host protein CD36 play a major role in P. falciparum iRBC cytoadherence. The murine parasite Plasmodium berghei is a widely used experimental model that combines high genetic tractability with access to in vivo studies. P. berghe i iRBC also sequesters in small blood vessels, mediated by binding to CD36. However, the parasite proteins binding to CD36 are unknown and only very few parasite proteins, including EMAP1 and EMAP2, have been identified that are present at the iRBC membrane. We have identified a new protein named EMAP3 and demonstrated its export to the iRBC membrane where it interacts with EMAP1, with only EMAP3 exposed on the outer surface of the iRBC. Parasites lacking EMAP3 display no significant reduction in growth or sequestration, indicating that EMAP3 is not the major CD36-binding protein. The outer-surface location of EMAP3 offers a new scaffold for displaying P. falciparum proteins on the surface of the P. berghei iRBC, providing a platform to screen in vivo putative inhibitors of P. falciparum cytoadherence.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 1 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
