Journal
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 13, Issue 11, Pages 1714-1730Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2011.01652.x
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Funding
- Intermal
- Marie Curie Initial Training Consortium [PITN-GA-2008-215281]
- European Molecular Biology Organization [ALTF-763-2006]
- Max Planck fellowship
- Structural Genomics Consortium [1097737]
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Male gametogenesis occurs directly after uptake of malaria parasites by the mosquito vector and leads to the release of eight nucleated flagellar gametes. Here, we report that one of the two parasite actin isoforms, named actin II, is essential for this process. Disruption of actin II in Plasmodium berghei resulted in viable asexual blood stages, but male gametogenesis was specifically inhibited. Upon activation, male gametocyte DNA was replicated normally and axonemes assembled, but egress from the host cell was inhibited, and axoneme motility abolished. The major actin isoform, actin I, displayed dual localization to the cytoplasm and the nucleus in male gametocytes. After activation actin I was found to be restricted to the cytoplasm. In actII(-) mutant parasites, this re-localization was abolished and actin I remained in both cellular compartments. These findings reveal vital and pleiotropic functions for the actin II isoform in male gametogenesis of the malaria parasite.
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