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Migration through host cells activates Plasmodium sporozoites for infection

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 01 January 2003

Abstract

Plasmodium sporozoites, the infective stage of the malaria parasite transmitted by mosquitoes, migrate through several hepatocytes before infecting a final one. Migration through hepatocytes occurs by breaching their plasma membranes, and final infection takes place with the formation of a vacuole around the sporozoite1. Once in the liver, sporozoites have already reached their target cells, making migration through hepatocytes prior to infection seem unnecessary. Here we show that this migration is required for infection of hepatocytes. Migration through host cells, but not passive contact with hepatocytes, induces the exocytosis of sporozoite apical organelles, a prerequisite for infection with formation of a vacuole. Sporozoite activation induced by migration through host cells is an essential step of Plasmodium life cycle.

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Figure 1: Sporozoites present two types of exocytosis.
Figure 2: Migration through host cells induces sporozoite apical-regulated exocytosis.
Figure 3: The requirement for migration through host cells is overcome once exocytosis is induced.

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Bhanot, S. Dias and M. Ronemus for critically reviewing the manuscript; C. Figueiredo for help with real-time PCR assay; P. Sinnis for help with the gliding motility assay; S. Lu and J. Ross for help with the western blots; and E. Nardin for the anti-TRAP mAb (F3B5). The anti-EBA175 rabbit antiserum was provided by the Malaria Research and Reference Reagent Resource Center (MR4). Support was provided by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (to M.M.M.) and American Liver Foundation (to A.R.).

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Correspondence to Ana Rodriguez.

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Mota, M., Hafalla, J. & Rodriguez, A. Migration through host cells activates Plasmodium sporozoites for infection. Nat Med 8, 1318–1322 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm785

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