期刊
CURRENT BIOLOGY
卷 18, 期 8, 页码 607-613出版社
CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.03.045
关键词
-
资金
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [20247032] Funding Source: KAKEN
Malaria, which is caused by Plasmodium parasites, is transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes. When gametocytes, the precursor cells of Plasmodium gametes, are transferred to a mosquito, they fertilize and proliferate, which render the mosquito infectious to the next vertebrate host [1]. Although the fertilization of malaria parasites has been considered as a rational target for transmission-blocking vaccines [2], the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that the rodent malaria parasite gene Plasmodium berghei GENERATIVE CELL SPECIFIC 1 (PbGCS1) plays a central role in its gametic interaction. PbGCS1 knockout parasites show male sterility, resulting in unsuccessful fertilization. Because such a male-specific function of GCS1 has been observed in angiosperms [3, 4], this indicates, for the first time, that parasite sexual reproduction is controlled by a machinery common to flowering plants. Our present findings provide a new viewpoint for understanding the parasitic fertilization system and important clues for novel strategies to attack life-threatening parasites.
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