Journal
NATURE
Volume 443, Issue 7111, Pages 582-585Publisher
NATURE RESEARCH
DOI: 10.1038/nature05149
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As the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, grows within its host erythrocyte it induces an increase in the permeability of the erythrocyte membrane to a range of low-molecular-mass solutes, including Na+ and K+ ( ref. 1). This results in a progressive increase in the concentration of Na+ in the erythrocyte cytosol(2,3). The parasite cytosol has a relatively low Na+ concentration(2,4) and there is therefore a large inward Na+ gradient across the parasite plasma membrane. Here we show that the parasite exploits the Na+ electrochemical gradient to energize the uptake of inorganic phosphate (P-i), an essential nutrient. P-i was taken up into the intracellular parasite by a Na+-dependent transporter, with a stoichiometry of 2Na(+): 1P(i) and with an apparent preference for the monovalent over the divalent form of P-i. A P-i transporter (PfPiT) belonging to the PiT family was cloned from the parasite and localized to the parasite surface. Expression of PfPiT in Xenopus oocytes resulted in Na+-dependent P-i uptake with characteristics similar to those observed for P-i uptake in the parasite. This study provides new insight into the significance of the malaria-parasite-induced alteration of the ionic composition of its host cell.
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