Guerra ED, Baakdah F, Gourgas O, Tam M, Stevenson MM, Georges E, Bohle DS, Cerruti M. Inorganic ions on hemozoin surface provide a glimpse into Plasmodium biology.
J Inorg Biochem 2019;
200:110808. [PMID:
31487576 DOI:
10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.110808]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In malaria, Plasmodium parasites produce hemozoin (Hz) as a route to detoxify free heme released from the catabolism of hemoglobin. Hz isolated from the parasites is encapsulated in an organic layer constituted by parasite and host components. This organic coating may play a role in Hz formation and in the immunomodulatory properties attributed to Hz, and they may influence the mode of action of antimalarials that block Hz formation. In this work, we analyze the organic layer adhered to Hz, and find Na, Cl, Si, Ca and P present, in addition to organic material. Our results suggest that Na, Cl, and P adsorb during Hz release from the red blood cells, while Si and Ca derive from components present during Hz biomineralization within the digestive vacuole of the parasite. Overall, we show that inorganic elements associated with Hz surface provide insights into the biological functions of Plasmodium parasites.
Collapse