ac9b05111_si_001.pdf (709.26 kB)
Nanofocused Scanning X‑ray Fluorescence Microscopy Revealing an Effect of Heterozygous Hemoglobin S and C on Biochemical Activities in Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes
journal contribution
posted on 2020-03-31, 19:14 authored by Benjamin Fröhlich, Yang Yang, Judith Thoma, Julian Czajor, Christine Lansche, Cecilia Sanchez, Michael Lanzer, Peter Cloetens, Motomu TanakaWhile
there is ample evidence suggesting that carriers of heterozygous
hemoglobin S and C are protected from life-threatening malaria, little
is known about the underlying biochemical mechanisms at the single
cell level. Using nanofocused scanning X-ray fluorescence microscopy,
we quantify the spatial distribution of individual elements in subcellular
compartments, including Fe, S, P, Zn, and Cu, in Plasmodium
falciparum-infected (P. falciparum-infected)
erythrocytes carrying the wild type or variant hemoglobins. Our data
indicate that heterozygous hemoglobin S and C significantly modulate
biochemical reactions in parasitized erythrocytes, such as aberrant
hemozoin mineralization and a delay in hemoglobin degradation. The
label-free scanning X-ray fluorescence imaging has great potential
to quantify the spatial distribution of elements in subcellular compartments
of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes and unravel
the biochemical mechanisms underpinning disease and protective traits.