Products of tryptophan catabolism induce Ca2+ release and modulate the cell cycle of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites |
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Authors: | Beraldo Flávio H Garcia Célia R S |
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Affiliation: | Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. |
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Abstract: | Intraerythrocytic malaria parasites develop in a highly synchronous manner. We have previously shown that the host hormone melatonin regulates the circadian rhythm of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi, through a Ca2+-based mechanism. Here we show that melatonin and other molecules derived from tryptophan, i.e. N-acetylserotonin, serotonin and tryptamine, also modulate the cell cycle of human malaria parasite P. falciparum by inducing an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+. This occurs independently of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration, indicating that these molecules induce Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores in the trophozoite. This in turn leads to an increase in the proportion of schizonts. The effects of the indolamines in increasing cytosolic free Ca2+ and modulating the parasite cell cycle are both abrogated by an antagonist of the melatonin receptor, luzindole, and by the phospholipase inhibitor, U73122. |
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Keywords: | calcium malaria melatonin N-acetylserotonin Plasmodium falciparum serotonin |
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