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Methods Used to Investigate the Plasmodium falciparum Digestive Vacuole

Version 3 2024-06-19, 08:34
Version 2 2024-06-03, 17:24
Version 1 2022-02-07, 08:52
journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-19, 08:34 authored by RCS Edgar, Natalie CounihanNatalie Counihan, S McGowan, Tania De Koning-WardTania De Koning-Ward
Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a global health problem as parasites continue to develop resistance to all antimalarials in use. Infection causes clinical symptoms during the intra-erythrocytic stage of the lifecycle where the parasite infects and replicates within red blood cells (RBC). During this stage, P. falciparum digests the main constituent of the RBC, hemoglobin, in a specialized acidic compartment termed the digestive vacuole (DV), a process essential for survival. Many therapeutics in use target one or multiple aspects of the DV, with chloroquine and its derivatives, as well as artemisinin, having mechanisms of action within this organelle. In order to better understand how current therapeutics and those under development target DV processes, techniques used to investigate the DV are paramount. This review outlines the involvement of the DV in therapeutics currently in use and focuses on the range of techniques that are currently utilized to study this organelle including microscopy, biochemical analysis, genetic approaches and metabolomic studies. Importantly, continued development and application of these techniques will aid in our understanding of the DV and in the development of new therapeutics or therapeutic partners for the future.

History

Journal

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Volume

11

Article number

829823

Pagination

1-12

Location

Lausanne, Switzerland

Open access

  • Yes

ISSN

2235-2988

eISSN

2235-2988

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Publisher

Frontiers Media SA