Mechanism of enhanced fusion capacity of mouse red cells infected with Plasmodium berghei.

Plasmodium berghei-infected mouse red cells have enhanced fusion capacity as triggered by addition of poly(ethylene glycol) in the presence of Ca2+. The uptake of Ca2+ in P. berghei-infected cells is greater than in normal cells, and the difference in Ca2+ uptake was found to be enhanced in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol). Fusion of normal and P. berghei-infected red cells by poly(ethylene glycol) was significantly inhibited by N-tosyl-L-lysylchloromethyl ketone and phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride. In addition, ethyleneglycolbis(aminoethylether)tetra-acetate, N-ethylmaleimide, iodoacetamide, cystamine and tetrathionate also prevented fusion in both systems. In contrast, N-tosyl-L-phenylalanylchloromethyl ketone and N-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester did not inhibit cell fusion. The latter enhanced fusion of infected cells but was without effect on normal cells. These results indicate that a Ca2+-activated thiol proteinase may be involved in membrane fusion in malaria-infected as well as in normal red cells. However, differences in the effect of proteinase inhibitors and substrate on fusion and Ca2+ entry show that the processes leading to fusion may not be identical.