Biochemistry of Plasmodium (malarial parasites)

Malarial Fevers and Malarial Parasites

Evidence for differences in erythrocyte surface receptors for the malarial parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi

Human erythrocytes lacking various blood group determinants were susceptible to invasion by Plasmodium falciparum including Duffy-negative erythrocytes that are refractory to invasion by Plasmodium knowlesi. Erythrocytes treated with trypsin or neuraminidase had reduced susceptibility of P. falciparum and normal susceptibility to P. knowlesi. Chymotrypsin treatment (0.1 mg/ml) blocked invasion ...

Studies on Malarial Parasites

1. Methods have been described for the preparation and sterilization of a synthetic nutrient medium which supports normal growth during one 24 hour asexual cycle of the erythrocytic form of P. knowlesi. 2. Successive subcultures with good multiplication can be carried out when whole blood or plasma is added to the medium. Data are presented from two such experiments where the sixth and seventh ...

Free Malarial Parasites and the Effect of the Migration of the Parasites of Tertian Malarial Infections

1. The malarial parasite is extracellular throughout its life cycle and migrates from red corpuscle to red corpuscle destroying each before it abandons it; in the brief intervals between, the parasite is free in the blood serum; it does not remain long free, but almost immediately attaches itself to another red corpuscle by means of delicate pseudopodia. 2. The compact form of the tertian paras...

584 Studies on Malarial Parasites

When Laveran (1) discovered living malarial parasites over 65 years ago in the blood of patients with certain fevers, a new era in the study of malaria was initiated. This discovery of malarial organisms and the subsequent experimental proof by a series of workers that they were the etiological agents of the disease failed, however, to lead to the immediate successful cultivation of the parasit...