Abstract

Invasion of the mosquito midgut by the Plasmodium ookinete determines the success of transmission of malaria parasites from humans to mosquitoes and therefore, is a potential target for molecular intervention. Here, we show higher-resolution ultrastructural details of developing and mature P. gallinaceum ookinetes than previously available. Improved fixation and processing methods yielded substantially improved transmission electron micrographs of ookinetes, particularly with regard to visualization of subcellular secretory and other organelles. These new images provide new insights into the synthesis and function of vital invasive machinery focused on the following features: apical membrane protrusions presumptively used for attachment and protein secretion, dark spherical bodies at the apical end of the mature ookinete, and the presence of a dense array of micronemes apposed to microtubules at the apical end of the ookinete involved in constitutive secretion. This work advances understanding of the molecular and cellular details of the Plasmodium ookinete and provides the basis of future, more detailed mechanistic experimentation on the biology of the Plasmodium ookinete.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Patra KP, Vinetz JM

Institution

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0741, USA. kpatra@ucsd.edu

Source

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 87:3 2012 Sep pg 412-7

MeSH

Animals
Chickens
Culicidae
Digestive System
Electron Microscope Tomography
Female
Life Cycle Stages
Organelles
Plasmodium

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22802443