Plasmodium malariae

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Plasmodium malariae

<a href="http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/details.asp" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://phil.cdc.gov/PHIL_Images/12563/12563_lores.jpg" width="240" height="162" /></a>

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Plasmodium malariae

Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain: Eukarya
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemosporida
Family: Plasmodiidae
(NCBI)

Species

Plasmodium malariae

Description and significance

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.

-Plasmodium malariae is a parasitic protozoa that causes malaria in humans. It is the cause of a fever that recurs in three-day intervals and is responsible for less death than malaria caused by other bacteria.

Genome structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

Not much is known about the genome of the species Plasmodium malariae specifically, but some important characteristics about its genome can be determined from the genome sequences of other species in the Plasmodium genus. It is estimated that the genome of an organism in the genus Plasmodium contains anywhere from 23 million to 27 million base pairs, in the form of 14 linear chromosomes. These 14 chromosomes code for about 5,500 genes, many of which function in invading the host immune system. (Winzeler)

Cell structure and metabolism

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology

Habitat; symbiosis; contributions to the environment.

Pathology

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

Current Research

Enter summaries of the most recent research here--at least three required

Cool Factor

Describe something you find "cool" about this microbe.

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

"Plasmodium Malariae." NCBI Taxonomy Browser. NCBI. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi>.

Winzeler, Elizabeth Ann. "Malaria research in the post-genomic era." Nature 455.7214 (2008): 751-756. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Print. 5 Oct. 2011.

Edited by students of Iris Keren

NEUF2011