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The pH of the Plasmodium falciparum digestive vacuole: holy grail or dead-end trail?

Spiller, D. G., Bray, Patrick, Hughes, Ruth, Ward, Stephen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2331-3192 and White, M. R. H. (2002) 'The pH of the Plasmodium falciparum digestive vacuole: holy grail or dead-end trail?'. Trends in Parasitology, Vol 18, Issue 10, pp. 441-444.

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Abstract

The maintenance of acidic pH in the digestive vacuole of the malaria parasite is thought to be crucial to the digestion of host cell haemoglobin and the subsequent process of heme detoxification. It may also be important in the mode of action of chloroquine and in the mechanism of resistance to the drug. Obtaining a definitive measurement of digestive vacuole pH has been surprisingly difficult. Some of the techniques for the measurement of pH in acid vesicles are outlined here along with some key aspects that are specific to malaria parasites. The use of acridine orange and dextran-tagged dyes as probes for the measurement of digestive vacuole pH has proved problematic, yet some surprising findings have emerged from work with these compounds.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: QU Biochemistry > Cells and Genetics > QU 350 Cellular structures
QU Biochemistry > Cells and Genetics > QU 375 Cell physiology
QV Pharmacology > Anti-Inflammatory Agents. Anti-Infective Agents. Antineoplastic Agents > QV 256 Antimalarials
QX Parasitology > Protozoa > QX 135 Plasmodia
Faculty: Department: Groups (2002 - 2012) > Molecular & Biochemical Parasitology Group
Digital Object Identifer (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1016/s1471-4922(02)02365-6
Depositing User: Martin Chapman
Date Deposited: 19 Jun 2013 12:59
Last Modified: 17 Jul 2020 10:58
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/2988

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