Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3423066 | Trends in Parasitology | 2012 | 8 Pages |
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.