An Alternative Secretory Pathway in the Malaria Parasite 'Plasmodium falciparum'

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abbreviations
• Summary
• Zusammenfassung
• Introduction
  • Malaria
  • The complex life-cycle of Plasmodium falciparum
  • The intraerythrocytic stage
    • P. falciparum-infection leads to extensive modification of the red blood cell.
    • Novel structures and compartments in P. falciparum-infected red blood cell.....
    • Protein secretion mechanisms in the P. falciparum-infected red blood cell.....
  • Unconventional protein secretion.
  • Role of fatty acid acylation of proteins in plasma membrane binding..
    • Protein N-myristoylation..
    • Protein-Palmitoylation
  • Acylated proteins as candidates of an alternative secretory pathway in P. falciparum? .
  • Objective.....
• Materials and Methods.
  • Materials and Chemicals.
  • Enzymes
  • Antibodies.
  • Solutions and buffers...
  • Vectors and oligonucleotides
    • Vectors.....
    • Oligonucleotides.
    • Plasmids designed for this work.
  • Cells and Organisms...........
  • Bioinformatics...........
  • Cell culture techniques.
    • In-vitro cultivation of Plasmodium falciparum.
    • Synchronization of Plasmodium falciparum with Sorbitol
    • Enrichment of trophozoite-stage parasites via Gelafundin flotation.
    • High enrichment of late-stage parasites using a high gradient magnetic field..
    • Transfection and Co-transfection of Plasmodium falciparum.........

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation explores the existence of an alternative secretory pathway in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The main objective is to investigate the potential role of fatty acid acylation of proteins in this unconventional protein secretion pathway.

• The complex life-cycle of Plasmodium falciparum
• Unconventional protein secretion mechanisms in P. falciparum-infected red blood cells
• The role of fatty acid acylation in protein targeting and localization
• Identification of potential candidate proteins involved in the alternative secretory pathway
• Investigating the molecular mechanisms of protein transport and secretion in P. falciparum

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides an overview of malaria, the complex life-cycle of P. falciparum, and the intraerythrocytic stage of the parasite's development. It focuses on the extensive modifications the red blood cell undergoes during infection and the unconventional protein secretion mechanisms employed by P. falciparum. The chapter also delves into the role of fatty acid acylation in plasma membrane binding, particularly examining N-myristoylation and palmitoylation. The chapter concludes by introducing the potential candidates for an alternative secretory pathway in P. falciparum and outlining the objectives of the dissertation.

The "Materials and Methods" chapter details the experimental techniques and materials used in this research. It covers aspects such as cell culture techniques, molecular biology tools, and bioinformatics analyses. Specific methods discussed include in-vitro cultivation and synchronization of P. falciparum parasites, transfection procedures, and protein analysis techniques.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The central theme of this dissertation revolves around the study of an alternative secretory pathway in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Key focus areas include unconventional protein secretion, fatty acid acylation, protein targeting, protein localization, N-myristoylation, palmitoylation, and the identification of potential candidate proteins involved in this novel pathway. The work aims to unravel the complex mechanisms of protein transport and secretion within P. falciparum, offering insights into the parasite's biology and potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.