When parasite level
increased in red blood cell, then it is known as blood stage parasites which is
actively produce glucose as a primary source of energy and metabolic steps
involved in the conversion of glucose to lactate and pyruvate under anaerobic
and aerobic conditions respectively via glycolysis process. Energy production, intracellular pH and
osmotic stability required by parasite is managed by lactate transport and
glucose uptake. Lactate dehydrogenase is tetrameric enzyme which is responsible
for the anaerobic conversion of NADH to NAD+ (Figure 2).
The General reaction
carried out by LDH is as follows:
Pyruvate + NADH + H+ à Lactate + NAD+

Figure
2: Mechanism
of LDH: from Jasper lactate final, Proteopedia, life in 3D.
In first step NADH
mainly interacts with enzyme in the presence of LDH leads to formation of
LDH-NAD+-lactate and LDH-NADH-pyruvate complexes. Therefore, NAD+ regenerated
after detachment of pyruvate from enzyme. The rate limiting step in this
reaction is the rate of dissociation of NADH. Released NAD+ by anaerobic
respiration of P. falciparum is an important electron acceptor in glycolysis.
In the aerobic condition, NAD+ produced through glycolysis, the citric acid
cycle, and the electron transport chain. The glucose is metabolized into CO2
and H2O to get greater amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Production of
ATP is essential for anabolic and homeostatic processes. On the other hand, in
anaerobic condition pyruvate fermentation process occurred for regenaration of
NAD+. This process is followed by removal of electron from NADH to release
NAD+. Thus pyruvate converted to lactate with regenartion of NAD+ from NADH and
this process helpful for survival of malarial parasite [24-26]. Direct shifting
of hydride ion from donor carbon of the cofactor NADH to substrate carbon of
acceptor pyruvate is responsible for lactate production through H+ symport
mechanism. Lactate dehydrogenase also able to carried out reversible conversion
of lactate to pyruvate via oxidation reaction process. The reverse reaction is
essential for body to utilize the remaining energy present in the lactate. In a
condition where oxygen supply is in a smaller amount, the enzyme LDH provide an
oxygen to manage homeostasis. Also LDH having significant role in cellular
respiration and this enzyme regulated by substrate. PfLDH plays significant
role in energy production via glycolysis. Biochemical functioning, growth, and
development of plasmodium falciparum mainly depends upon this enzyme that may
supply energy to it. Inhibitions of PfLDH enzyme resulting into parasites
death. Therefore, this enzyme need to be target for antimalarial development.
Lactate transport
The biochemical and
physiological integrity is depending on efflux of lactic acid. Intracellular
parasite as well as host erythrocytes contain lactate. Intracellular parasite
encapsulated in vacuole in which lactate get entered and then export to erythrocyte
cytosol by leaving this vacuole. Lactic acid interaction with lactate anion and
proton to promote metabolism of glucose in plasmodia and transports out of the
cytoplasm. This process essential in managing parasite’s energy flux and pH
homeostasis [27-29]. The lactate transported plasma membrane of cell includes,
hepatocyte, skeletal muscles, cardiac myocytes, blood brain barrier, pancreatic
cell and tumour cell [30-35]. The protein transporter which promote efflux of
lactate that present in intraerythrocyte malarial parasite is plasmodium
falciparum formate nitrite transporter (PfFNT). Plasmodial lactate transporter,
PfFNT comes under microbial formate nitrite transporter (FNT) family and FNT is
structurally not related to monocarboxylate that transport lactate. But as like
lactate transport, FNT also able to transport other monocarboxylate. PfFNT
having a high capacity to symport lactate/proton. L-lactate that is the end
product of glycolysis process which is carried across plasma membrane. Parasite
growth increases when malarial parasite infects to red blood cell and propagate
rapidly. L-lactate transport is rapid, non-saturating, and insensitive which
can be transported by monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) also that is located at
parasite surface. Lactate comes into erythrocytes by three ways including a
free diffusion of the undissociated acid, transport on specific H+
monocarboxylate transporter and exchange with other ion. Monocarboxylate
transporters (MCTs) play significant role as a carrier of monocarboxylate like
L-lactate, pyruvate, and the ketone bodies. MCT promote exchange of one
carboxylate with other. Both MCT and lactate receptor GPR81 having affinity
towards lactate. Lactate is end product of glycolysis process which is
transported across plasma membrane via protein linked monocarboxylate belong to
family MCT as well as solute carrier (SLC16). There are distinct isoforms of
MCT present in brain namely: MCT-1, MCT-2 and MCT-4. MCT-1 is found in vascular
endothelial cells, ependymocytes. MCT-2 present in neuron as well as found in
liver, kidney and testis, while MCT-4 located at astrocytes. Microglia contain
both MCT-1 and MCT-2. There are also some other isoforms are present such as
MCT-3, MCT-8 and MCT-10 but MCT-8 and MCT-10 are not linked to protein and not
involved in lactate transport. MCT-8 mainly responsible for specific thyroid
hormone transport. SLC5 solute carrier family contain sodium-linked
monocarboxylate which can also responsible for transport system and to carried
out endothelial monocarboxylate transport.
All this isoform of
monocarboxylate transporter play essential role to transport lactate are as
follows:
MCT 1-
Monocarboxylate transporter-1 is protein encoded by SLC16A1 gene. It is
proton-linked which influx or efflux lactic acid based on some criteria
including the prevailing intracellular and extracellular substrate
concentrations and the pH gradient across the plasma membrane. Thus, MCT1 have
an ability to transport L-lactate across the plasma membrane.
MCT 2- It is proton coupled
monocarboxylate transporter has SLC16A7 gene. This transporter having
high-sensitivity to hypoxia, intracellular pH, and, to lactate. It is carried
out rapid transport process and promote uptake of lactate which is neccesary
respiratory fuel in oxidation.
MCT 3- This is also
known as SLC16A8 and located in retinal pigment epithelium and choroid plexus
epithelia. This transporter having important function to transport lactate
produced through glycolysis to outside of the retina.
MCT 4- It is also proton
coupled transporter encoded by SLC16A3. MCT-4 play important role in active
transport, export of lactate and metabolism of lactate in skeletal muscle.
The major facilitator
superfamily (MFS) having 12 transmembrane helices (TMs) fixed in two six-helix bundles
which is attached with long intracellular loop. C and N-termini of MFS are
intracellularly situated and this family also contain MCT. TM6 and TM7 attached
by intracellular loop and TM8 that is arginine residue also involved in MFS.
The function of TM8 is too binding of carboxylate group of monocarboxylate.
MCT-4 show less affinity toward L-lactate but involved in lactate transport.
MCT-1 and MCT-2 (SLC16A7) both are significantly responsible for uptake of
L-lactate, but MCT-2 show more affinity as compared to MCT-1 (SLC16A1). The
L-lactate based on transmembrane proton gradient also transported via SfMCT.
Attachment site for proton is important for cotransportation of L-lactate and
proton. Positively charged amino acid influence the transport of L-lactate. In
the basic medium positive charge is reduced and because of this there are some
changes occurred in proton and L-lactate transport process. The bacterial
lactate transporter (sfMCT) also transport lactate and it is having higher
affinity to lactate than pyruvate and ketone bodies.
Role of lactate transport
Lactate transport is
necessary for various reasons. Lactate transport mainly involved efflux or
influx of lactic acid that is present in intracellular parasite. Due to that
the acid load occurred in cytosol after entry of lactate into it. Because of
lactate production ATP generated in plasma membrane of parasite. Malarial
parasite may require energy which is generated by glycolysis in the form of
ATP, that's why malarial parasite dependent on glycolysis for energy. This
lactate transport has another significant part in osmoregulation. Each glucose
molecule gives two lactate molecules that regulate constant osmotic pressure in
parasite. In the absence of lactate pyruvate produce as a metabolic end product.
Inhibitions of lactate and pyruvate results into retention and accumulation of
both lactate and pyruvate, thus finally cause cell death. Oxidation-reduction
reaction process balanced by lactate transporter. P. falciparum in which single
mitochondrion present depends on conversion of pyruvate to lactate and
Generation of NAD+ from NADH. So greater amount of glucose produced by
glycolysis. Plasma membrane having greater ability to export lactate. Balance
between H+ accumulation and H+ removal is important for maintenance of cellular
pH homeostasis. Sarcolemma containing transporter may help to this process.
Lactate which essential in cellular respiration can transport through
sarcolemma membrane. H+/lactate co-transporter having greater ability for removal
of H+ as compared to Na+-H+ exchanger or bicarbonate dependent transport.
Lactate-H+ cotransport mechanism is medium for transport of lactate. This
system is less susceptible to internal pH. More H+ removal occurred when more
lactate is produced. On the other hand, when internal pH is less as well as in
absence of lactate, the NA+-H+ exchanger system has been worked. Since as like
other functions lactate also play role in muscle pH regulation. Acidosis
occurred in malaria is mainly caused by Lactate.