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Malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium move ten times faster through the skin than immune cells. Heidelberg scientists have found a reason why the parasite is faster than its counterpart. They studied actin-a protein that is important to the structure and movement of cells and that is built differently in parasites and mammals.
The findings at the Centre for Infectious Diseases (Department of Parasitology) at Heidelberg University Hospital, the Centre for Molecular Biology at the University of Heidelberg (ZMBH), and the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) may leads to production of new drugs for treating malaria.
Actin is assembled into long rope-like structures called filaments. These filaments are important for the proper functioning of cells – such as muscle cells and enable movements. However, they also serve to enable immune system cells to move and capture invading pathogens. Likewise, they are of great importance for the movement of the malaria parasite. Malaria parasites are ten times nimbler than the fastest of human immune cells and literally outrun immune defences.
To investigate the reasons behind the difference in speed, scientists replaced parts of the parasite protein with corresponding sections of protein from mammalian actin in the laboratory. When these changes were made in the parasite, they noticed that some parasites could not survive at all. Researchers performed computer simulations ranging from modeling at the molecular level to observing the parasites in live animals.
The findings could be used to discover chemical compounds that selectively target parasite actin and affect either the building or breakdown of the filament this could stop the parasites.