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Extracellular development of erythrocytic stages ofPlasmodium falciparum

  • Symposium: Infectious Disease
  • Published:
Methods in Cell Science

Abstract

Continuous culture of the erythrocytic cycle ofPlasmodium falciparum within human erythrocytes maintained under appropriate conditionsin vitro has facilitated a large body of fundamental investigations with this important pathogen. It has revealed complex relationships between the developing intracellular parasite and its host erythrocyte. In pursuit of further understanding of these relationships, we have now developed, and here describe, methods that support extracellular development of the erythrocytic stages ofP. falciparum. Since only 1 to 2% of an inoculum of free merozoites can develop extracellularly through the entire schizogonic cycle to again form merozoites, the method does not support continuous extracellular culture. The work shows that the parasitophorous membrane and vacuole are not essential. Development of the parasites beyond the ring stage does however require constituents of the erythrocyte membrane.

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Abbreviations

CPD:

citrate-phosphate dextrose

KIS:

KI medium with 10% human serum

RP-C:

RP medium without bicarbonate or serum

RPS:

RP medium with bicarbonate and serum

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York, USA

    William Trager, Jonathan Williams & Gokal S. Gill

Authors
  1. William Trager
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  2. Jonathan Williams
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  3. Gokal S. Gill
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Trager, W., Williams, J. & Gill, G.S. Extracellular development of erythrocytic stages ofPlasmodium falciparum . Methods Cell Sci 18, 219–227 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00132887

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00132887

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