Regensburg 2016 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 43: Cell Adhesion
BP 43.4: Vortrag
Mittwoch, 9. März 2016, 16:00–16:15, H43
Modelling the adhesion of malaria-infected red blood cells — •Anil Kumar Dasanna1,2 and Ulrich S. Schwarz1,2 — 1Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University — 2BioQuant, Heidelberg University
Clinical symptoms of the malaria disease appear when healthy red blood cells are invaded by the parasites during the blood stage of the malaria lifecylce. An infected red blood cell (iRBC) starts to develop adhesive protrusions, so-called knobs, on its surface. The parasite takes about two days to rebuild the iRBC and during this time, the density of knobs increases whereas their typical size decreases. The knobs cause iRBCs to adhere to endothelial cells in the microvasculature, preventing their clearance by spleen and liver, but also leading to capillary obstruction. To better understand the adhesion of iRBCs under capillary flow, we studied the adhesion of iRBC in shear flow using Stokesian dynamics simulations. The iRBC is assumed to have a spherical shape and the knobs are modelled as cluster of receptors on the spherical surface. The ligands are distributed on the substrate to which receptors on iRBC can make bonds that then can rupture under force. We investigate mainly how the spatial organisation of the receptors on the surface of the iRBC changes its adhesive behavior in shear flow. We discuss the different dynamical states of infected RBC, such as rolling adhesion, transient adhesion, firm adhesion and free motion, as a function of knob density and size. We also will discuss the role of heterogeneous receptor distributions and the role of cell elasticity.