Stage‐Dependent Toxicity of N‐Acetyl‐Glucosamine to Plasmodium falciparum1

Abstract
The effects of N-acetylglucosamine on growth of synchronized cultures of P. falciparum were assessed by morphological observations and by measurement of parasite incorporation of 3H-hypoxanthine. Inhibition of 3H-hypoxanthine incorporation was more marked during the later stages of the erythrocytes cycle. At concentrations of the sugar < 20 mM the deleterious effects were mainly a result of failure of released merozoites to invade erythrocytes, rather than a failure of schizonts to mature or release merozoites. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that a lectin-like substance on the merozoite interacts with a surface glycoprotein on the red cell and that sugar residues on this glycoprotein may be involved in this recognition.