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Malaria varies in severity, with complications ranging from uncomplicated to severe malaria. Severe malaria could be attributed to peripheral hyperparasitemia or cerebral malaria. The metabolic interactions between the host andiPlasmodium/ispecies are yet to be understood during these infections of varied pathology and severity. An untargeted metabolomics approach utilizing the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platform has been used to identify the affected host metabolic pathways and associated metabolites in the serum of murine malaria models with uncomplicated malaria, hyperparasitemia, and experimental cerebral malaria. We report that mice with malaria share similar metabolic attributes like higher levels of bile acids, bile pigments, and steroid hormones that have been reported for human malaria infections. Moreover, in severe malaria, upregulated levels of metabolites like phenylalanine, histidine, valine, pipecolate, ornithine, and pantothenate, with decreased levels of arginine and hippurate, were observed. Metabolites of sphingolipid metabolism were upregulated in experimental cerebral malaria. Higher levels of 20-hydroxy-leukotriene Bsub4/suband epoxyoctadecamonoenoic acids were found in uncomplicated malaria, with lower levels observed for experimental cerebral malaria. Our study provides insights into host biology during different pathological stages of malaria disease and would be useful for the selection of animal models for evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic interventions against malaria. The raw data files are available via MetaboLights with the identifier MTBLS4387.

Renovation of host erythrocytes is vital for pathogenesis by Plasmodium falciparum. These changes are mediated by parasite proteins that translocate beyond the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane in an unfolded state, suggesting protein folding by chaperones is imperative for the functionality of exported proteins. We report a type IV P. falciparum heat-shock protein 40, PF11_0034, that localizes to the cytoplasmic side of J-dots and interacts with the erythrocyte cytoskeleton, and therefore named eCiJp (erythrocyte cytoskeleton-interacting J protein). Recombinant eCiJp binds to the human heat-shock protein 70 HsHSPA1 and promotes its ATPase activity. In addition, eCiJp could suppress protein aggregation. Our data suggest that eCiJp recruits HsHSPA1 to the host erythrocyte cytoskeleton, where it may become involved in remodeling of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton and/or folding of exported parasite proteins.