Deciphering the regulation of Plasmodium falciparum replication
(18)
Subject Area
Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
Term
since 2018
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 240245660
During P. falciparum replication in the blood, multinucleated cells are formed through asynchronous nuclear division. P. falciparum proliferation is directly related to disease severity. We found that reduced cytoadherence, but not altered replication, underlies lower parasite burdens and milder forms of malaria. Proximity-based proteomic labelling identified novel molecular players around the kinase PfCRK4, expanding ist role in nuclear cycle progression. Combining live-cell imaging and mathematical modelling, we found that parasite replication is affected by a limiting factor and that asynchronous nuclear replication cycles balance limited resources with fast parasite proliferation.
DFG Programme
Collaborative Research Centres
