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Studies on cell-cycle synchronization in the asexual erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2006

J. A. NAUGHTON  and
A. BELL
J. A. NAUGHTON
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
A. BELL
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Abstract

Multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within human erythrocytes is essential to malarial disease. The cell-division cycle of this organism, however, is still poorly understood. In other eukaryotes, various techniques for (apparent) cell-cycle synchronization have been used to shed light on the mechanisms involved in cell division and its control. Thus far there is no technique for cell-cycle synchronization (as opposed to selection of parasites of a limited age-range) in Plasmodium. We therefore investigated the possibility that inhibitors of DNA synthesis, the mitotic spindle, or cell-cycle control elements (such as cyclin-dependent kinases) could be used to synchronize P. falciparum cultures to a particular cell-cycle phase. Surprisingly, most of these compounds did not cause a block at a specific phase. Three compounds, Hoechst 33342, roscovitine and L-mimosine, did block development at the trophozoite–schizont transition (S or G2 phase). The block caused by the latter 2 inhibitors was reversible, suggesting that they might be used as synchronizing agents. However, a consideration of the perturbing effects of inhibitors and problems with ‘batch’ synchronization techniques in general lead us to believe that any results obtained using roscovitine- or L-mimosine-treated parasites may not be reflective of the normal cell cycle.

Keywords

Plasmodiummalariacell-cyclesynchronizationschizogony
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 134 , Issue 3 , March 2007 , pp. 331 - 337
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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