Projects per year
Abstract
Malaria parasites exhibit a complex lifecycle, requiring extensive asexual replication in the liver and blood of the vertebrate host, and in the haemocoel of the insect vector. Yet, they must also undergo a single round of sexual reproduction, which occurs in the vector’s midgut upon uptake of a blood meal. Sexual reproduction is obligate for infection of the vector and thus, is essential for onwards transmission to new hosts. Sex in malaria parasites involves several bottlenecks in parasite number, making the stages involved attractive targets for blocking disease transmission. Malaria parasites have evolved a suite of adaptations (“strategies”) to maximise the success of sexual reproduction and transmission, which could undermine transmission-blocking interventions. Yet, understanding parasite strategies may also reveal novel opportunities for such interventions. Here, we outline how evolutionary and ecological theories, developed to explain reproductive strategies in multicellular taxa, can be applied to explain two reproductive strategies (conversion rate and sex ratio) expressed by malaria parasites within the vertebrate host.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 111375 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology |
Volume | 244 |
Early online date | 20 May 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2021 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- gameocyte
- transmission
- fitness
- life history trait
- phenotypic plasticity
- adaptation
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Dive into the research topics of 'The private life of malaria parasites: Strategies for sexual reproduction'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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The evolutionary ecology of parasite strategies for survival and transmission
14/03/19 → 30/12/22
Project: Research
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Parasite offence or host defence? The roles of biological rhythms in malaria infection
1/11/16 → 30/09/23
Project: Research
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Plasticity in parasites: adaptive strategies for survival and reproduction?
1/01/13 → 13/03/19
Project: Research