Surface Plasmodium sugar‐binding components evidenced by fluorescent neoglycoproteins

A sugar‐binding component was shown to be present at the surface of endoerythrocytic Plasmodium berghei and P. chabaudi stages and merozoites by means of a panel of neoglycoproteins using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytofluorometry. The protein nature of this material was ascertained by the loss of sugar‐binding capacity upon trypsin treatment. This lectin‐like protein primarily bound neoglycoprotein‐borne N‐acetylglucosamine and secondarily bound neoglycoprotein‐borne alpha‐D‐glucose, beta‐D‐galactose and alpha‐L‐fucose. These results suggest the presence of at least one type of lectin‐like protein with an extended binding site accomodating several sugar units, and define its localization on the parasite surface.