TY - JOUR TI - The Plasmodium falciparum rhoptry protein RhopH3 plays essential roles in host cell invasion and nutrient uptake AU - Sherling, Emma S AU - Knuepfer, Ellen AU - Brzostowski, Joseph A AU - Miller, Louis H AU - Blackman, Michael J AU - Ooij, Christiaan van A2 - Soldati-Favre, Dominique VL - 6 PY - 2017 DA - 2017/03/02 SP - e23239 C1 - eLife 2017;6:e23239 DO - 10.7554/eLife.23239 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23239 AB - Merozoites of the protozoan parasite responsible for the most virulent form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, invade erythrocytes. Invasion involves discharge of rhoptries, specialized secretory organelles. Once intracellular, parasites induce increased nutrient uptake by generating new permeability pathways (NPP) including a Plasmodium surface anion channel (PSAC). RhopH1/Clag3, one member of the three-protein RhopH complex, is important for PSAC/NPP activity. However, the roles of the other members of the RhopH complex in PSAC/NPP establishment are unknown and it is unclear whether any of the RhopH proteins play a role in invasion. Here we demonstrate that RhopH3, the smallest component of the complex, is essential for parasite survival. Conditional truncation of RhopH3 substantially reduces invasive capacity. Those mutant parasites that do invade are defective in nutrient import and die. Our results identify a dual role for RhopH3 that links erythrocyte invasion to formation of the PSAC/NPP essential for parasite survival within host erythrocytes. KW - Malaria KW - pathogenesis KW - Plasmodium JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -