Membrane lipid rafts have been implicated in erythrocyte invasion process by Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, we examined the effect of lidocaine, a local anesthetic, which disrupts lipid rafts reversibly without affecting membrane cholesterol content on parasite invasion. In the presence of increasing concentrations of lidocaine in the culture medium, parasite invasion was progressively decreased with complete inhibition at 2mM. Decreased invasion was also seen in erythrocytes pre-treated with lidocaine and cultured in the absence of lidocaine. This inhibitory effect on parasite invasion was reversed following removal of lidocaine from erythrocyte membranes. Our findings show that disruption of lipid rafts in the context of normal cholesterol content markedly inhibits parasite invasion and confirm an important role for lipid rafts in invasion of erythrocytes by P. falciparum.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2009.08.019 | DOI Listing |
Biomolecules
January 2025
Research and Education Resource Center, Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 117198 Moscow, Russia.
Post-translational modifications of proteins via palmitoylation, a thioester linkage of a 16-carbon fatty acid to a cysteine residue, reversibly increases their affinity for cholesterol-rich lipid rafts in membranes, changing their function. Little is known about how altered palmitoylation affects function at the systemic level and contributes to CNS pathology. However, recent studies suggested a role for the downregulation of palmitoyl acetyltransferase (DHHC) 21 gene expression in the development of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)-like syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMembranes (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics and Earth Science, University of Messina, Viale Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
Lipid rafts are dynamic microdomains in the membrane, rich in cholesterol and sphingolipids, that are critical for biological processes like cell signalling, membrane trafficking, and protein organization. Their essential role is claimed in both physiological and pathological conditions, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and viral infections, making them a key area of research. Fluorescence-based approaches, including super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques, enable precise analysis of the organization, dynamics, and interactions of these microdomains, thanks also to the innovative design of appropriate fluorescent probes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sens
January 2025
Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Shenyang 110042, China.
Intracellular morphological apical-basal polarity, regulated by conserved polarity proteins, plays a crucial role in cell migration and metastasis. In this study, using a genetically encoded Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor to visually present the spatiotemporal stress state between the lipid rafts on the membrane and the linked actin, we first provide the evidence for the existence of intrinsic apical-basal stress polarity in tumor cells and demonstrate that this polarity is a prerequisite for the formation of flow-induced front-back stress polarity. Interestingly, our study revealed that the front-back stress polarity disappeared upon the disruption of intrinsic apical-basal stress discrepancy, resulting in a large attenuated cell migration activity reduced from 76.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Death Dis
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry I, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase type B (ALOX15B) peroxidises polyunsaturated fatty acids to their corresponding fatty acid hydroperoxides, which are subsequently reduced into hydroxy-fatty acids. A dysregulated abundance of these biological lipid mediators has been reported in the skin and blood of psoriatic compared to healthy individuals. RNAscope and immunohistochemistry revealed increased ALOX15B expression in lesional psoriasis samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis
January 2025
Department of Cell Pathology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland. Electronic address:
The connection between the F-actin and ribosome docking to the PM has been reported, but the exact mechanism has remained unclear. Previously, we discovered that gelsolin (GSN) forms complexes with numerous ribosomal proteins, including ribosomal protein SA (RPSA). Now, we have unraveled the mechanism of ribosome recruitment to the lipid nanodomains of the PM, with GSN playing a pivotal role in this process.
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