Identification of proteins involved in the formation of Novel Permeation Pathways in the plasma membrane of the Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocyte

疟疾寄生虫恶性疟原虫对人红细胞的入侵在感染细胞的质膜中诱导了未在未感染细胞中发现的新的渗透途径。这些渗透途径允许来自红细胞外环境的小溶质进入，这是寄生虫生长所必需的。虽然新的渗透途径的生理特性已经进行了相当详细的研究，参与这些途径的蛋白质尚未确定。在下面的项目中，我们计划开发实验策略，用于鉴定有助于形成新的渗透途径的蛋白质。这些策略是基于感染和未感染红细胞中表面蛋白的选择性标记。将通过MALDI-TOF-MS分析来自感染红细胞的蛋白质（由于构象变化，其具有不同的标记肽模式）和在未感染红细胞中检测不到的蛋白质，并在基因组数据库中鉴定其各自的基因。这些候选蛋白的功能分析将在异源系统中表达相应基因后进行。

The invasion of human erythrocytes by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum induces novel permeation pathways in the plasma membrane of the infected cell which are not found in non-infected cells. These permeation pathways allow access of small solutes from the extraerythrocytic milieu which are essential for parasite growth. Although the physiological properties of novel permeation pathways have been investigated in considerable detail, the proteins involved in these pathways have not been identified. In the following project we plan to develop experimental strategies for the identification of proteins that contribute to the formation of the novel permeation pathways. These strategies are based on a selective labelling of surface proteins in infected and in non-infected erythrocytes. Proteins from infected erythrocytes which, owing to conformational changes, have a different pattern of labelled peptides, and proteins which are undetectable in non-infected erythrocytes will be analysed by MALDI-TOF-MS and their respective genes will be identified in genome data bases. The functional analysis of those candidate proteins will be performed after expression of the respective genes in heterologous systems.