The Coming-Out of Malaria Gametocytes

The tropical disease malaria, which results in more than one million deaths annually, is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted by blood-feeding Anopheline mosquitoes. Parasite transition from the human host to the mosquito vector is mediated by gametocytes, sexual sta...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BioMed research international 2010-01, Vol.2010 (2010), p.1-11
Main Authors: Kuehn, Andrea, Pradel, Gabriele
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activation
Animals
Anopheles - parasitology
Erythrocytes
Erythrocytes - parasitology
Gametocytes
Host-Parasite Interactions - physiology
Human
Humans
Insect Vectors - parasitology
Malaria
Malaria - parasitology
Mosquitoes
Parasites
Plasmodium
Plasmodium - physiology
Proteins
Reproduction
Review
Spores, Protozoan - physiology
Spreads
Studies
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The tropical disease malaria, which results in more than one million deaths annually, is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted by blood-feeding Anopheline mosquitoes. Parasite transition from the human host to the mosquito vector is mediated by gametocytes, sexual stages that are formed in human erythrocytes, which therefore play a crucial part in the spread of the tropical disease. The uptake by the blood-feeding mosquito triggers important molecular and cellular changes in the gametocytes, thus mediating the rapid adjustment of the parasite from the warm-blooded host to the insect host and subsequently initiating reproduction. The contact with midgut factors triggers gametocyte activation and results in their egress from the enveloping erythrocyte, which then leads to gamete formation and fertilization. This review summarizes recent findings on the role of gametocytes during transmission to the mosquito and particularly focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying gametocyte activation and emergence from the host erythrocyte during gametogenesis.
ISSN:1110-7243
2314-6133
1110-7251
2314-6141
DOI:10.1155/2010/976827