Person:

Rudlaff, Rachel

ABSTRACT The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum requires efficient egress out of an infected red blood cell for pathogenesis. This egress event is highly coordinated and is mediated by several signaling proteins, including the plant-like P. falciparum calcium-dependent protein kinase 5 (PfCDPK5). Knockdown of PfCDPK5 results in an egress block where parasites are trapped inside their host cells. The mechanism of this PfCDPK5-dependent block, however, remains unknown. Here, we show that PfCDPK5 colocalizes with a specialized set of parasite organelles known as micronemes and is required for their discharge, implicating failure of this step as the cause of the egress defect in PfCDPK5-deficient parasites. Furthermore, we show that PfCDPK5 cooperates with the P. falciparum cGMP-dependent kinase (PfPKG) to fully activate the protease cascade critical for parasite egress. The PfCDPK5-dependent arrest can be overcome by hyperactivation of PfPKG or by physical disruption of the arrested parasite, and we show that both treatments facilitate the release of the micronemes required for egress. Our results define the molecular mechanism of PfCDPK5 function and elucidate the complex signaling pathway of parasite egress.