Male fertility of malaria parasites is determined by GCS1, a plant-type reproduction factor
Male fertility of malaria parasites is determined by GCS1, a plant-type reproduction factor
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cub.2008.03.045
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发表时间：
2008-04-22
期刊：
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Matsuoka, Hiroyuki
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hirai, Makoto;Arai, Meiji;Matsuoka, Hiroyuki
疟疾是由疟原虫引起的，通过按蚊传播。当配子细胞，即疟原虫配子的前体细胞，被转移到蚊子身上时，它们会受精和繁殖，从而使蚊子感染下一个脊椎动物宿主[1]。尽管疟疾寄生虫的受精一直被认为是传播阻断疫苗的合理目标[2]，但其潜在机制却鲜为人知。在这里，我们证明了啮齿动物疟疾寄生虫基因伯氏疟原虫生殖细胞特异性1(PbGCS1)在其配子相互作用中发挥核心作用。PbGCS1基因敲除寄生虫表现为雄性不育，导致受精失败。由于在被子植物中观察到了GCS1这种雄性特有的功能[3，4]，这首次表明，寄生虫的有性繁殖是由开花植物共同的机制控制的。我们的发现为理解寄生受精系统提供了一个新的视角，并为开发新的攻击威胁生命的寄生虫的策略提供了重要线索。
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.