Global analysis of putative phospholipases in reveals an essential role of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in parasite maturation.

For its replication within red blood cells, the malaria parasite depends on a highly active and regulated lipid metabolism. Enzymes involved in lipid metabolic processes such as phospholipases are, therefore, potential drug targets. Here, using reverse genetics approaches, we show that only 1 out of the 19 putative phospholipases expressed in asexual blood stages of is essential for proliferation , pointing toward a high level of redundancy among members of this enzyme family.

A choline-releasing glycerophosphodiesterase essential for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis and blood stage development in the malaria parasite.

The malaria parasite synthesizes significant amounts of phospholipids to meet the demands of replication within red blood cells. De novo phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis via the Kennedy pathway is essential, requiring choline that is primarily sourced from host serum lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC). LysoPC also acts as an environmental sensor to regulate parasite sexual differentiation.

Differential Trafficking and Expression of PIR Proteins in Acute and Chronic Infections.

multigene families are thought to play important roles in the pathogenesis of malaria. genes comprise the largest multigene family in many species. However, their expression pattern and localisation remain to be elucidated.