Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
Trends Parasitol. 2012 Nov;28(11):471-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2012.07.007. Epub 2012 Aug 30.
Plasmodium falciparum is named for the crescent or falciform shape it adopts when preparing to undergo transfer to a mosquito vector. By contrast, gametocytes of the other (less virulent) human malaria parasites retain a more rounded shape. We describe the machinery that elongates falciparum gametocytes and discuss its relation with the machinery that elongates the invasive zoites. We address the question - why do falciparum malaria gametocytes go banana-shaped? The answer may lie in the finding that gametocyte maturation is associated with an increase in cellular deformability. The shape-shifting ability of gametocytes may facilitate the sequestration of early-stage gametocytes, while enabling late-stage gametocytes to circulate in the blood stream without being removed by the mechanical filtering mechanisms in the host spleen.
恶性疟原虫（Plasmodium falciparum）因在准备转移到蚊子媒介时呈新月形或镰刀形而得名。相比之下，其他（毒性较弱）人类疟原虫的配子体则保持更圆的形状。我们描述了使恶性疟原虫配子体伸长的机制，并讨论了它与使侵袭性裂殖体伸长的机制的关系。我们探讨了一个问题——为什么恶性疟原虫的配子体变成香蕉形？答案可能在于发现配子体成熟与细胞变形性增加有关。配子体的变形能力可能有助于早期配子体的隔离，同时使晚期配子体能够在血液中循环而不被宿主脾脏中的机械过滤机制清除。
