Ion channels and suicidal death of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Stephan Michael Huber
• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: from 2002 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5374443

The intraerythrocyte survival and proliferation of the malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum requires the delivery of nutrients through the so-called new permeability pathways (NPP). Patch clamp experiments in our laboratory revealed that infection with Plasmodium falciparum opens cation channels as well as inwardly and outwardly rectifying Cl--channels. Those channels are created by endogeneous host erythrocyte proteins, which are activated by the pathogen through oxidation. Further evidence points to cell volume sensitivity of the cation channel and the inwardly rectifying Cl--channel. Moreover, the intraerythrocyte plasmodia do not survive osmotic host cell shrinkage. The present project aims at elucidating the molecular nature of the volume sensitive ion channels and the mechanisms how plasmodia and cell volume regulate the activity of those channels.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1131: Life Inside Cells
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Florian Lang