Infecton Mechanisms of Malarail Parasite Sporozoites to the Liver Cells

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Malarial parasites have very complicated life cycle. There are many steps for the parasites to invade into the host tissues or cells of both vector mosquito and vertebrate animal. We are interested in molecular mechanisms of the parasite invasion of host tissues. We have analyzed parasite proteins essential for invasion into host mosquito midgut and host liver using the rodent malaria Plasmodium berghei. We established EST (expressed sequence tags) databases of ookinetes and sporozoites, selected some molecules based on certain criteria, and analyzed their function by gene targeting disruption. We have elucidated several molecules that function in parasite infection (movement, recognition, invasion, development and/or proliferation) of host. We identifiedand and named as CTRP (CS TRAP Related Protein) and MAOP (Membrane Attack Ookinete Protein) from sporozoite and ookinete stages of parasites. Both proteins have membrane attack complex /perforin domain in the molecule and function to rupture the cell membrane of Kuppfer cell in the liver sinusoidal layer and mosquito midgut cell respectively. Ookinetes and sporozoites have cellular barriers, midgut epithelial cells of mosquitoes for ookinetes and the sinusoidal layer cells in the liver for sporozoites to reach their respective infective sites. Malarial parasites use different homologous molecules, and a common conserved cell traversal