The nutrient games - Plasmodium metabolism during hepatic development

Malaria is a febrile illness caused by species of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium and is characterized by recursive infections of erythrocytes, leading to clinical symptoms and pathology. In mammals, Plasmodium parasites undergo a compul-sory intrahepatic development stage before infecting erythrocytes. Liver-stage parasites have a metabolic configuration to facilitate the replication of several thou-sand daughter parasites. Their metabolism is of interest to identify cellular pathways essential for liver infection, to kill the parasite before onset of the disease. In this re-view, we summarize the current knowledge on nutrient acquisition and biosynthesis by liver-stage parasites mostly generated in murine malaria models, gaps in knowl-edge, and challenges to create a holistic view of the development and deficiencies in this field.

Automated summary

Malaria is a febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which infect erythrocytes and lead to clinical symptoms and pathology. Understanding the metabolism of liver-stage parasites is crucial for identifying cellular pathways essential for infection and developing treatments. This review provides a summary of current knowledge on nutrient acquisition and biosynthesis by liver-stage parasites, highlighting gaps in knowledge and challenges in this field.