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PLoS Pathogens Issue Image | Vol. 14(5) May 2018

Plasmodium parasites recruit host aquaporin-3 for proper development

When Plasmodium parasites are injected into the bloodstream via the bite of a mosquito, they first travel to the liver where they undergo morphological changes and rapid asexual replication before invading red blood cells and cause disease. The parasites rely on the host liver environment to undergo these changes. Immunofluorescence image of Plasmodium-infected hepatocytes show host aquaporin-3 (red) is recruited to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane of the parasites (nuclei, blue) within hepatocytes (nuclei, white). Disruption of host aquaporin-3 prevents proper parasite development. Derbyshire et al.

Image Credit: Dora Posfai and Emily Derbyshire, Duke University

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Plasmodium parasites recruit host aquaporin-3 for proper development

When Plasmodium parasites are injected into the bloodstream via the bite of a mosquito, they first travel to the liver where they undergo morphological changes and rapid asexual replication before invading red blood cells and cause disease. The parasites rely on the host liver environment to undergo these changes. Immunofluorescence image of Plasmodium-infected hepatocytes show host aquaporin-3 (red) is recruited to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane of the parasites (nuclei, blue) within hepatocytes (nuclei, white). Disruption of host aquaporin-3 prevents proper parasite development. Derbyshire et al.

Image Credit: Dora Posfai and Emily Derbyshire, Duke University

https://doi.org/10.1371/image.ppat.v14.i05.g001