Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 9: Posters - Cell Mechanics

BP 9.4: Poster

Monday, March 20, 2017, 17:30–19:30, P3

Adhesive dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells — •Anil K. Dasanna, Christine Lansche, Michael Lanzer, and Ulrich S. Schwarz — Heidelberg University

The clinical symptoms of the malaria disease appear when healthy red blood cells (RBC) are invaded by the malaria parasites during the blood stage of the life cycle. The whole infection of RBC takes about 48 hrs and proceeds through the three stages of ring, trophozoite and schizont. During these stages, infected RBC increasingly develop adhesive protrusions, so-called knobs, on their surface. These knobs cause iRBCs to adhere to endothelial cells in the microvasculature, preventing their clearance by spleen and liver, but also leading to capillary obstruction. We first present how exactly the shape of iRBCs change during the time course along with their geometrical features such as volume and surface area using confocal microscopy and image processing. We then discuss how these changes in shape and knob details through out the blood stage affect the rolling adhesion of iRBCs on endothelial cells using flow chamber experiments. Results from these flow chamber experiments are complemented with adhesive dynamics of deformable RBC simulations. Hydrodynamics is implemented with multiparticle collision dynamics (MPCD). In particular using simulations, we will discuss how does the combination of iRBC shape or different infectious stage cell along with different knob density give rise to different adhesive dynamics such as flipping motion or stable rolling. We will show how does membrane elasticity play role in adhesive dynamics.