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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 1: Active Matter I (joint session BP/CPP/DY)
BP 1.4: Vortrag
Montag, 9. März 2026, 10:15–10:30, BAR/SCHÖ
The 3D chirality of malaria parasites determines their motion patterns in 2D and originates at the apical pole — •Leon Lettermann1, Mirko Singer2, Smilla Steinbrück2,3, Falko Ziebert1, Sachie Kanatani3, Photini Sinnis3, Friedrich Frischknecht2, and Ulrich Schwarz1 — 1Institute for Theoretical Physics & BioQuant, Heidelberg University — 2Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University — 3School of Public Health and Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Plasmodium sporozoites, the slender forms of the malaria parasite injected by mosquitoes into the skins of their vertebrate hosts, provide a medically highly relevant model system for active chiral particles. Using 3D tracking in synthetic hydrogels, we show that sporozoites consistently move on right-handed helical trajectories. When they encounter a two-dimensional substrate, they switch to clockwise circular motion, whereas circling on glass in medium occurs with the opposite sense of rotation, suggesting on glass they try to invade the medium above. Using a sandwich assay, we demonstrate that chirality also determines the reverse transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional motion. Combining these measurements with a theory for gliding motility allows us to identify the likely origin of chirality, namely an asymmetric distribution of adhesins. After confirming this via two-sided traction force microscopy, we finally use STED super-resolution microscopy to reveal a corresponding tilt in the apical ring complex. In summary, our analysis thus uncovers both the biological relevance and the molecular basis of chirality in the movement of malaria parasites.
Keywords: Cell motility; Chirality; Live-cell microscopy; Simulation