The Evolution of Malaria Parasites and their Interactions with their Host Cell

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Malaria is one of the most common and threatening infectious diseases with more than 500 million annual cases, fatal for ~650,000 victims per year. Malaria is caused by protozoans of the genus Plasmodium, which are transmitted by mosquitoes. The life-threatening forms of the disease are almost exclusively caused by P. falciparum, which is limited to tropical climates. The particular pathogenicity of P. falciparum involves mechanisms that are either specific for this species or that may be inherited from a common Plasmodium ancestor. In this project, we will integrate phylogenetic, molecular and cell biology approaches to study the evolution of parasite-host cell interactions. In this context, we will trace the origin of the subgenus Laverania, which include P. falciparum, from a putatively avian host. We will elucidate the phylogeny of the Haemosporida, which include Plasmodium and other blood-parasites. Host-parasite interactions will be tackled by studying the protein export from the intraerythrocytic Plasmodium to the host cell surface. We will specifically evaluate the flexibility of the Plasmodium export element (PEXEL). The results will be used to better predict the exportomes of the Plasmodium species, which will be experimentally verified for P. falciparum in transgenic parasites. In addition, we will specifically focus on selected protein families that mediate parasite-host cell interactions (PIR, MSP7). To the end, our project will help unravelling the evolution of crucial mechanisms of malaria infections.