Palmitoylated Proteins in Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes: Investigation with Click Chemistry and Metabolic Labeling

Abstract

The examination of the complex cell biology of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum usually relies on the time-consuming generation of transgenic parasites. Here, metabolic labeling and click chemistry are employed as a fast transfection-independent method for the microscopic examination of protein S-palmitoylation, an important post-translational modification during the asexual intraerythrocytic replication of P. falciparum. Applying various microscopy approaches such as confocal, single-molecule switching, and electron microscopy, differences in the extent of labeling within the different asexual developmental stages of P. falciparum and the host erythrocytes over time are observed.

Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum; S-palmitoylation; click chemistry/metabolic labeling; in-gel fluorescence; malaria; microscopy.