Movement of a falciparum malaria protein through the erythrocyte cytoplasm to the erythrocyte membrane is associated with lysis of the erythrocyte and release of gametes.

Erythrocytes containing mature gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum circulate in the blood until they are ingested by a mosquito, an event that triggers gametogenesis and lysis of the infected erythrocyte. It was previously shown that a parasite protein (Pf155/RESA) accumulates in the erythrocyte cytoplasm next to the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (S. Uni, A. Masuda, M. J. Stewart, R. Nussenzweig, and M. Aikawa, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 36:481-488, 1987). Using a monoclonal antibody to Pf155/RESA and rabbit sera to two different repeat peptides of Pf155/RESA, we have studied the location of Pf155/RESA after induction of gametogenesis. Five minutes after triggering gametogenesis, the parasitophorous membrane no longer surrounded the parasite, bringing the parasite membrane in contact with the erythrocyte cytoplasm. Clear spaces appeared throughout the hemoglobin-rich host cytoplasm; Pf155/RESA was now localized in the cytoplasm directly surrounding the spaces. No membrane existed between the spaces and the erythrocyte cytoplasm. The spaces with surrounding Pf155/RESA protein extended to the erythrocyte membrane. After lysis of the erythrocyte membrane (15 min after triggering gametogenesis), the protein was distributed along the erythrocyte membrane and throughout the space between the gamete and the erythrocyte membrane. The mechanism by which Pf155/RESA remained aggregated around the spaces and its role in erythrocyte lysis are unknown. It is of interest that the parasite appeared to use the same molecule during invasion of erythrocytes and during release of gametes from infected erythrocytes.