Ca(2+) monitoring in Plasmodium falciparum using the yellow cameleon-Nano biosensor

Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 23;6:23454. doi: 10.1038/srep23454.

Abstract

Calcium (Ca(2+))-mediated signaling is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotes, including the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Due to its small size (<10 μm) measurement of intracellular Ca(2+) in Plasmodium is technically challenging, and thus Ca(2+) regulation in this human pathogen is not well understood. Here we analyze Ca(2+) homeostasis via a new approach using transgenic P. falciparum expressing the Ca(2+) sensor yellow cameleon (YC)-Nano. We found that cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration is maintained at low levels only during the intraerythrocytic trophozoite stage (30 nM), and is increased in the other blood stages (>300 nM). We determined that the mammalian SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin and antimalarial dihydroartemisinin did not perturb SERCA activity. The change of the cytosolic Ca(2+) level in P. falciparum was additionally detectable by flow cytometry. Thus, we propose that the developed YC-Nano-based system is useful to study Ca(2+) signaling in P. falciparum and is applicable for drug screening.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Artemisinins / pharmacology
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Calcium / analysis*
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium Signaling
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytosol / chemistry
  • Erythrocytes / parasitology*
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Organisms, Genetically Modified
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / metabolism
  • Plasmodium falciparum / physiology
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases / metabolism
  • Thapsigargin / pharmacology
  • Trophozoites / chemistry

Substances

  • Artemisinins
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • yellow cameleon
  • Thapsigargin
  • dihydroartemisinin
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases
  • Calcium