This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McRobert, L.
Right arrow Articles by Sutherland, C. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by McRobert, L.
Right arrow Articles by Sutherland, C. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, November 2004, p. 6597-6602, Vol. 72, No. 11
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.11.6597-6602.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Distinct Trafficking and Localization of STEVOR Proteins in Three Stages of the Plasmodium falciparum Life Cycle

Louisa McRobert,1 Peter Preiser,2,3 Sarah Sharp,1 William Jarra,2 Mallika Kaviratne,2 Martin C. Taylor,1 Laurent Renia,4 and Colin J. Sutherland1*

Department of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,1 Division of Parasitology, National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom,2 School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore,3 Departement d'Immunologie, Institut Cochin, INSERM U567, CNRS UMR 8104, Paris, France4

Received 22 January 2004/ Returned for modification 21 March 2004/ Accepted 25 July 2004

The genome of Plasmodium falciparum harbors three extensive multigene families, var, rif, and stevor (for subtelomeric variable open reading frame), located mainly in the subtelomeric regions of the parasite's 14 chromosomes. STEVOR variants are known to be expressed in asexual parasites, but no function has as yet been ascribed to this protein family. We have examined the expression of STEVOR proteins in intraerythrocytic sexual stages, gametocytes, and extracellular sporozoites isolated from infected Anopheles mosquitoes. In gametocytes, stevor transcripts appear transiently early in development but STEVOR proteins persist for several days and are transported out of the parasite, travel through the host cell cytoplasm, and localize to the erythrocyte plasma membrane. In contrast to asexual parasites, gametocytes move STEVOR to the periphery via a trafficking pathway independent of Maurer's clefts. In sporozoites, STEVOR appear dispersed throughout the cytoplasm in vesicle-like structures. The pattern of STEVOR localization we have observed in gametocytes and sporozoites differs significantly from that in asexual parasite stages. STEVOR variants are therefore likely to perform different functions in each stage of the parasites life cycle in which they occur.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St., London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (0)20 7927 2338. Fax: 44 (0)20 7636 8739. E-mail: colin.sutherland{at}lshtm.ac.uk.

Editor: J. F. Urban, Jr.

Infection and Immunity, November 2004, p. 6597-6602, Vol. 72, No. 11
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.11.6597-6602.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Blythe, J. E., Yam, X. Y., Kuss, C., Bozdech, Z., Holder, A. A., Marsh, K., Langhorne, J., Preiser, P. R. (2008). Plasmodium falciparum STEVOR Proteins Are Highly Expressed in Patient Isolates and Located in the Surface Membranes of Infected Red Blood Cells and the Apical Tips of Merozoites. Infect. Immun. 76: 3329-3336 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • HAEGGSTROM, M., VON EULER, A., KIRONDE, F., FERNANDEZ, V., WAHLGREN, M. (2007). OF MAURER'S CLEFTS IN PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM-INFECTED ERYTHROCYTES. Am J Trop Med Hyg 76: 27-32 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sharp, S., Lavstsen, T., Fivelman, Q. L., Saeed, M., McRobert, L., Templeton, T. J., Jensen, A. T. R., Baker, D. A., Theander, T. G., Sutherland, C. J. (2006). Programmed Transcription of the var Gene Family, but Not of stevor, in Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes.. Eukaryot Cell 5: 1206-1214 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»