Abstract

Phospholipid biosynthetic activity is intense in the erythrocytic stage of Plasmodium falciparum because of the parasite's own enzymatic machinery. The incorporation of various labeled phospholipid precursors in comparison with the incorporation of nucleic acid and protein precursors was tested to evaluate P. falciparum growth in vitro. These precursors, namely, [3H]ethanolamine, [3H]hypoxanthine, [3H]palmitate, [14C]serine, [3H]choline, [3H]inositol, and [3H]isoleucine, were all accurate indicators of parasite growth. However, because of its high level of incorporation, [3H]ethanolamine proved to be the best tool for assessing parasite viability. When culture parameters were carefully controlled, [3H]ethanolamine incorporation into phospholipids was proportional to pulse time, precursor concentration, and initial parasitemia and was sensitive to the number of uninfected erythrocytes (hematocrit). It can be used for a wide range of infected erythrocytes, from 2 x 10(4) to 5 x 10(5). The use of [3H]ethanolamine for in vitro antimalarial drug screening is a good alternative to the method of Desjardins et al. (R. E. Desjardins, C. J. Canfield, J. D. Haynes, and J. D. Chulay, Antimicrob. Agents. Chemother. 16:710-718, 1979). The major advantage is that the culture medium can be supplemented with hypoxanthine, which results in better parasite growth. [3H]ethanolamine is also an ideal tool when compounds that interfere with DNA and/or RNA metabolism are to be investigated for their effect on Plasmodium growth.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.