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SUMMARY:The miraculous metamorphosis of malaria parasites: how the malaria
  parasite adapts to the host erythrocyte (and the host itself) - Dr Christ
 iaan van Ooij\, Keele University
DTSTART:20250226T160000Z
DTEND:20250226T170000Z
UID:TALK226993@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ross Waller
DESCRIPTION:Malaria parasites replicate inside erythrocytes of the host or
 ganism. Although this is a relatively safe haven from the host’s immune 
 system\, it exposes the parasite to potential removal of the infected eryt
 hrocyte in the spleen\, where small\, old and damaged erythrocytes are rem
 oved from the circulation. Late-stage parasites are large and ultimately t
 ake up ~75% of the cytosol of the erythrocyte and erythrocytes containing 
 these large late-stage malaria parasites are rapidly removed from the bloo
 d circulation. In contrast\, early-stage parasites are much smaller and er
 ythrocytes containing these forms of the parasite are readily detected in 
 the blood of an infected individual. Although the invasive merozoite form 
 of the parasite is small and nearly spherical\, inside the erythrocyte ear
 ly-stage parasites assume very motile amoeboid shapes\, with limbs that mo
 ve\, retract and extend again. Hence\, the early-stage intracellular paras
 ites have little resemblance to the invasive form of the parasite. However
 \, how\, when and why the parasite undergoes this shape change has been st
 udied very little. To understand this remarkable transformation of merozoi
 tes to the intracellular amoeboid shape\, we investigated the when\, how a
 nd why of this process and discovered that it is rapid\, likely very compl
 ex and involves the host’s spleen. Our results indicate that rather than
  passively settling into the host erythrocyte after invasion\, the parasit
 e undergoes a radical metamorphosis to increase its survival in the host.
LOCATION:Seminar Room\, Tennis Court Road\, Dept of Pathology.
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