Plasmodium falciparum: Differing effects of non-esterified fatty acids and phospholipids on intraerythrocytic growth in serum-free medium

Hiroko Asahi, Shinji Izumiyama, Mohammed Essa Marghany Tolba, Bethel Kwansa-Bentum

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Different combinations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) had variable effects on intraerythrocytic growth of Plasmodium falciparum. All stages of the parasite cultured in medium supplemented with cis-9-octadecenoic acid (C18:1-cis-9), hexadecanoic acid (C16:0), phospholipids (Pld) and bovine albumin free of NEFA were similar to those grown in complete growth medium. Three typical growth patterns indicating suppressed schizogony (SS), suppressed formation of merozoites (SMF), and inhibited invasion of merozoites (IMI) resulted from culture in other combinations of lipids. Unsaturated or saturated NEFA with longer or shorter carbon chains than C18:1-cis-9 or C16:0, higher degree of unsaturation, and trans-forms mainly resulted in SS and SMF effects. However, IMI or partial IMI was observed with tetradecanoic acid or octadecanoic acid enriched with C18:1-cis-9, and cis-9-hexadecenoic acid plus C16:0. Isoforms of C18:1-cis-9 also mainly resulted in partial IMI. SMF also occurred with C18:1-cis-9 plus C16:0 in the absence of Pld. Thus different NEFA exerted distinct roles in erythrocytic growth of the parasite by sustaining development at different stages.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)708-713
Number of pages6
JournalExperimental Parasitology
Volume127
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Intraerythrocytic growth
  • Non-esterified fatty acid
  • Phospholipids
  • Plasmodium falciparum
  • Serum-free medium

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