Signalling in life cycle stages of malaria parasites

Objective

Malaria is a major public health problem in the developing world and is endemic in many regions of India. The development of novel strategies for malaria control requires a better understanding of the biology of malaria parasites. Our project aims at bringing a significant contribution to this field, through dissecting the signalling pathways that regulate essential processes in the life cycle of malaria parasites. The proposed research will merge two lines of investigation that have thus far been conducted largely independently from each other, namely: (i) the characterisation of components of signal transduction pathways (protein kinases, nucleotide cyclases, calcium signalling mediators) in malaria parasites; (ii) the study of specific biological processes during the life cycle of malaria parasites. Merging these two fields of malaria research will ensure a high level of complementarity and synergy within the consortium. Specific workpackages will be centred on understanding signalling-dependent regulation in the following processes and stage transition within the life cycle of malaria parasites: • erythrocyte infection (invasion, parasite proliferation) • sexual development (gametocytogenesis, gametogenesis, transmission to the mosquito vector) • hepatocyte infection (invasion, parasite proliferation, egress) • membrane dynamics (trafficking, transporters) Approaches will include proteomics, reverse genetics, structural biology, and the use of animal models of malaria. The consortium is constituted of EU and Indian partners with a proven track record either in research into one of the developmental stages/processes described above, or in signal transduction in malaria parasites. The project will significantly strenghten EU-India cooperation in this highly relevant topic.

Field of science

/medical and health sciences/health sciences/public and environmental health
/natural sciences/chemical sciences/inorganic chemistry/inorganic compounds
/medical and health sciences/health sciences/infectious disease/malaria
/natural sciences/biological sciences/genetics and heredity
/natural sciences/biological sciences/genetics and heredity/nucleotide
/natural sciences/biological sciences/molecular biology/structural biology
/natural sciences/biological sciences/biochemistry/biomolecules/proteins/proteomics

Funding Scheme

CP-SICA - Collaborative project for specific cooperation actions dedicated to international cooperation partner countries (SICA)

Coordinator

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE

Address

Rue De Tolbiac 101
75654 Paris
France

Activity type

Research Organisations

EU contribution

€ 472 000

Objective

Field of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (16)

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