Effect of DPAP3 knockdown on the trafficking of apical proteins. IFA showing trafficking of selected proteins to the micronemes (AMA1), rhoptries (RAP1, RhopH3, RON6), dense granules (RESA) and merozoite surface (MSP1) is unaffected in the PfDPAP3-HAglmS parasites cultured in the presence of 2.5mM glucosamine (GlcN). Scale bars represent 5 μm. IFA showed that irrespective of the levels of expression of DPAP3, each of these apical proteins, as well the rhoptry neck protein RON6 and dense granule protein RESA included as controls could all traffic normally to their expected destination. This indicates that DPAP3 does not contribute to the trafficking of these proteins to their respective locations. Moreover, given that knockdown of DPAP3 expression did not impact on the ability or timing of the parasites to mature from rings into schizonts to perform this analysis, these results also indicate that DPAP3 is not required for the normal maturation of schizonts.

Ghosh S, Chisholm SA, Dans M, Lakkavaram A, Kennedy K, Ralph SA, Counihan NA, de Koning-Ward TF. The cysteine protease dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 3 does not contribute to egress of Plasmodium falciparum from host red blood cells. PLoS One. 2018 Mar 6;13(3):e0193538.