PF3D7_0903700 alpha tubulin 1

Ultrastructure expansion microscopy resolves mitotic hemispindles and subpellicular microtubules in P. falciparum schizonts. (A) Epifluorescence image of an expanded schizont presenting mitotic spindles stained for α/β-tubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and centrin (green, Alexa 488). White arrowheads point to centrin staining at spindle poles. Note that some extra dots are visible in the centrin staining. Scale bar: 5 μm. (B) Zoom in of an hemispindle stained for α/β-tubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and centrin (green, Alexa 488). Scale bar: 2 μm. (C) Dot plot representing the mitotic spindle length. Average length +/− standard deviation: 873 nm +/− 427, n = 101. (D) Epifluorescence image of an expanded schizont presenting mitotic spindles stained for α/β-tubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and PolyE (green, Alexa 488). Scale bar: 5 μm. Note that the mitotic spindle is not polyglutamylated. (E) Zoom in of an hemispindle stained for α/βtubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and polyglutamylation (PolyE; green, Alexa 488). Scale bar: 2 μm. (F) Histogram representing the number of hemispindles displaying 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 tubulin structures, n = 58. (G) Representative epifluorescence images of expanded P. falciparum schizonts presenting subpellicular microtubules stained for α/β tubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and PolyE (green, Alexa 488). Note that the subpellicular microtubules are polyglutamylated in contrast to the mitotic spindle. Scale bar: 4 μm. Below are shown 2 examples of representative subpellicular microtubules (dotted white box regions) stained for α/β tubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and PolyE (green, Alexa 488). Scale bar: 5 μm. (H) Representative epifluorescence images of expanded P. berghei schizonts presenting subpellicular microtubules stained for α/β tubulin (magenta, Alexa 568) and PolyE (green, Alexa 488). Below are shown 2 examples of representative subpellicular microtubules (dotted white box regions). Scale bar: 5 μm.

Bertiaux E, Balestra AC, Bournonville L, Louvel V, Maco B, Soldati-Favre D, Brochet M, Guichard P, Hamel V. Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. PLoS Biol. 2021 19(3):e3001020. PMID:33705377.

Other associated proteins

PFID Formal Annotation
PF3D7_1446600 centrin-2
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