A new look at nonparasitized red cells of malaria-infected monkeys

Abstract

Many reports have shown that malarial parasites can produce distinct morphological and molecular alterations in the membranes of the parasitized erythrocytes, but few studies have been carried out on nonparasitized erythrocytes of infected animals. We report here that the outer leaflet of the membrane bilayer of nonparasitized erythrocytes contains significantly larger amounts of aminophospholipids (phos-phatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS)), than the normal red cell membrane. This alteration in nonparasitized red cells is probably caused by Ca²⁺-induced cross-linking of spectrin, and gradually disappears after chloroquine treatment. The external localization of PS in these cells together with defective structure of their cytoskeletal network provide a strong basis for the complications associated with malaria infection like thrombosis, infarction and severe anaemia.