E. Winograd et al., Release of merozoites from Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes could be mediated by a non-explosive event, PARASIT RES, 85(8-9), 1999, pp. 621-624
Little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying the release of mer
ozoites from malaria-infected erythrocytes. In the present study, video mic
roscopy was carried out, and images throughout the process of merozoite rel
ease from Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes were digitized and an
alyzed. Merozoites were shown to escape from the infected host cell in abou
t 1 s through a single site of the infected erythrocyte membrane, whose dim
ension was estimated to be 2.5 mu m. Merozoites were released together with
the residual body containing hemozoin, leaving behind a membranous structu
re that persisted even after an extended period of observation. Densitometr
ic measurements showed that the cytoplasmic content of the infected erythro
cyte did not diffuse out as parasites were released, but was gradually lost
thereafter. This would indicate that the release of merozoites from infect
ed erythrocytes is not mediated by an explosive event.