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Recent Publication in PLoS Pathogens Supported by the the RCMI Center for Molecular Genetics and AIDS/Infections Diseases Research

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CIAR Paper

 

The paper The Glutathione Biosynthetic Pathway of Plasmodium Is Essential for Mosquito Transmission was recenty published in PLoS Pathogens. Joel Vega-Rodríguez, doctoral student in the Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine is the lead author. Co-authors include Rebecca Pastrana-Mena, doctoral student in the same department, and Dr. José F. Rodríguez-Orengo, Professor of Biochemistry. Dr. Adelfa Serrano-Brizuela, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology. Dr Serrano is also co-director of the RCMI Center for Molecular Genetics and AIDS/Infections Diseases Research.

Co-authors also include collaborators from Leiden University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Wellcome Trust Centre of Molecular Parasitology and Division of Infection and Immunity at the University of Glasgow.

From the Author’s Summary at the PLoS site:
Using reverse genetics we interrupted the GSH biosynthetic pathway in the rodent malaria Plasmodium berghei by disrupting the pbggcs gene. The mutation caused minor changes in parasite growth in the mammalian host but development in the mosquito was completely arrested at the oocyst stage. These results suggest that the GSH biosynthetic pathway, while essential for mosquito stage development, is not an appropriate target for antimalarials against blood stages of the parasite.

Citation:
Vega-Rodríguez J, Franke-Fayard B, Dinglasan RR, Janse CJ, Pastrana-Mena R, et al. (2009) The Glutathione Biosynthetic Pathway of Plasmodium Is Essential for Mosquito Transmission. PLoS Pathog 5(2): e1000302. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000302

The paper is available online at:
http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000302

The project is supported by Grant Number G12RR03051(RCMI Program, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NCRR or NIH.