Reduced Invasion and Growth of Plasmodium falciparum Into Elliptocytic Red Blood Cells With a Combined Deficiency of Protein 4.1, Glycophorin C, and p55

• Published in: Blood Vol. 87; no. 8; pp. 3462 - 3469
• Main Authors: Chishti, Athar H., Palek, Jiri, Fisher, Derek, Maalouf, George J., Liu, Shih-Chun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Elsevier Inc 15.04.1996; The Americain Society of Hematology
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Adhesion - drug effects; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Elliptocytosis, Hereditary - blood; Elliptocytosis, Hereditary - genetics; Elliptocytosis, Hereditary - parasitology; Erythrocyte Membrane - chemistry; Erythrocyte Membrane - physiology; Erythrocytes, Abnormal - parasitology; Glycophorins - deficiency; Glycophorins - genetics; Guanylate Kinases; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Immunity, Innate - genetics; Infectious diseases; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - pharmacology; Macromolecular Substances; Malaria; Medical sciences; Membrane Proteins - deficiency; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Neuropeptides; Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase - deficiency; Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase - genetics; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium falciparum - growth & development; Plasmodium falciparum - physiology; Protozoal diseases; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Human; Cell proliferation; Protozoa; Erythrocytic membrane disease; Protozoal disease; Membrane protein; Malaria; Deficiency; Red blood cell; Hemopathy; Parasitosis; In vitro; Hereditary elliptocytosis; Genetic disease; Infection; Resistance; Plasmodium falciparum; Hemolytic anemia; Sporozoa
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V87.8.3462.bloodjournal8783462

In this investigation, we have measured the invasion and growth of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum into elliptocytic red blood cells (RBCs) obtained from subjects with homozygous hereditary elliptocytosis. These elliptocytic RBCs have been previously characterized to possess molecular defects in protein 4.1 and glycophorin C. Our results show that the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum into these protein 4.1 (-) RBCs is significantly reduced. Glycophorin C (-) Leach RBCs were similarly resistant to parasite invasion in vitro. The intracellular development of parasites that invaded protein 4.1 (-) RBCs was also dramatically reduced. In contrast, no such reduction of intracellular parasite growth was observed in the glycophorin C (-) Leach RBCs. In conjunction with our recent finding that a third protein termed p55 is also deficient in protein 4.1 (-) and glycophorin C (-) RBCs, the present data underscore the importance of the membrane-associated ternary complex between protein 4.1, glycophorin C, and p55 during the invasion and growth of malaria parasites into human RBCs.