Organization and Expression of Plasmodial Genes Required for Erythrocyte Invasion.

摘要

Survival of the malaria parasite within its vertebrate is the result of multiple highly evolved mechanisms which allow the parasite to modulate or evade host defenses. Principle among these mechanisms is the ability to minimize contact between the parasite and the host immune system by remaining intracellular for the majority of its asexual life-cycle. For P. falciparum, invasion of host erythrocytes, as well as the sequestration of infected erythrocytes in the microvasculature, represent specialized mechanisms which are dependent upon receptor-ligand interactions between the parasite and host cells. As such these interactions represent models by which to address questions of cell-cell interactions at the molecular level and which represent rational sites for therapeutic intervention. The research focus of the laboratory was aimed at defining the biochemical and genetic basis for merozoite invasion of erythrocytes and sequestration of the infected erythrocyte. Keywords: Malaria, Vaccine, Molecular biology, Recombinant DNA, Merozoite, Erythrocyte. (jes)