Phosphorylation of myosin A regulates Plasmodium sporozoite motility and is essential for efficient malaria transmission

• Published in: bioRxiv
• Main Authors: Ripp, Johanna, Smyrnakou, Xanthoula, Neuhoff, Marie-Therese, Frischknecht, Friedrich
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 29.03.2021
• Subjects: Actin; Culicidae; Disease transmission; Erythrocytes; Malaria; Merozoites; Mosquitoes; Motility; Myosin; Parasites; Phosphorylation; Plasmodium; Salivary gland; Serine; Sporozoites

Malaria-causing parasites rely on an actin-myosin based motor for the invasion of different host cells as well as tissue traversal in mosquitoes and vertebrates. The unusual myosin A of Plasmodium spp. has a unique N-terminal extension which is important for red blood cell invasion by P. falciparum...