Fertilization Mechanisms of the Rodent Malarial Parasite Plasmodium berghei

  • Hirai M
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Abstract

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium spp., is transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes. When male and female gametes are introduced into the mosquito mid- gut, they reproduce sexually and proliferate, at which time the mosquito becomes infectious to vertebrates. It has been proposed that fertilization is a critical target in the parasite life cycle for the reduction of malarial prevalence. Although under- standing parasite fertilization is crucial for the control of malaria, the precise molec- ular mechanisms involved have long remained unknown. Generative cell-specifi c 1 (GCS1) has been reported to be a critical fertilization factor in angiosperms. It was subsequently shown that the function of GCS1 is conserved in both the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei and the green alga Chlamydomonas rein- hardtii . Moreover, a GCS1 -like gene has been detected in the genomes of various organisms, suggesting that it plays a conserved role in gamete interaction. As GCS1 is thought to act as a membrane-anchoring protein in male gametes, a female coun- terpart is assumed to exist. To reveal the mechanisms involved in parasite fertiliza- tion, it is important to clarify the function of GCS1 and to identify GCS1 partners and other fertilization factors. In this review, I fi rst describe the life cycle of malaria parasites, focusing on gametogenesis and fertilization and the underlying mecha- nisms. I then discuss the functions of GCS1 at the time of gamete interaction. Finally, I consider whether parasite fertilization factors, including GCS1, might be utilized in the development of antimalarial vaccines. Keywords

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Hirai, M. (2014). Fertilization Mechanisms of the Rodent Malarial Parasite Plasmodium berghei. In Sexual Reproduction in Animals and Plants (pp. 337–344). Springer Japan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54589-7_27

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