Revealing the impact of the lipid composition on PfEMP1-membrane interactions

Cerebral malaria is the most severe neurological complication of the infection by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. During the blood phase of the infection, which is responsible for the pathology of this disease, the parasites invade red blood cells (erythrocytes). Infected erythrocytes (IEs) express variable surface antigens known as Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane proteins 1 (PfEMP1). This adherence and accumulation of IEs at endothelial surface causes occlusion of blood vessels in the brain leading to lethal neurological complications. Here we propose NR measurements to investigate the location of two variants of the PfEMP1-A protein family, named HB3-var3 and PFD1235w, on lipid membranes. Our main goal is to shed light on the role played by the membrane lipid composition in favouring adsorption of PfEMP1 proteins on endothelial cell membranes.