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The elusive malaria sporozoite in the mammalian host
Author(s) -
Baldacci Patricia,
Ménard Robert
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04275.x
Subject(s) - biology , malaria , plasmodium (life cycle) , host (biology) , virology , parasite hosting , mammal , niche , hepatocyte , immunology , zoology , ecology , genetics , world wide web , computer science , in vitro
Summary Malaria infection is initiated when Plasmodium sporozoites are injected into a host during the bite of an infected mosquito. In the mammal, the sporozoite must rapidly reach an intravacuolar niche within a hepatocyte, where it will generate the parasite stage that invades red blood cells and causes the symptoms of the disease. Herein, we describe our understanding of the way in which sporozoites travel from the site of the mosquito bite to the liver, arrest in the liver, cross the sinusoidal barrier and eventually gain access to hepatocytes. We also highlight some of the recent advances in our understanding of these processes at the molecular level.