The accumulation of amino acids by Plasmodium lophurae (Avian malaria)

Abstract

1. 1. The avian malaria Plasmodium lophurae, malaria-infected erythrocytes and normal duck erythrocytes incubated at 37–39°C for periods up to 30 min in the presence of 14C-labeled amino acids (1 mM) demonstrate four patterns of accumulation. 2. 2. The uptake of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, arginine, taurine, histidine, methionine, glycine, valine and leucine is similar for normal and malaria-infected erythrocytes. The infected erythrocytes accumulates less alanine, serine and threonine than does the normal duck erythrocyte, whereas for proline, the converse is true. 3. 3. The only amino acids accumulated by erythrocyte-free P. lophurae are glutamic acid, lysine and arginine. Apparently, all other amino acids enter by diffusion.