Pishchany, G., & Skaar, E. P. (2012).

Taste for Blood: Hemoglobin as a Nutrient Source for

Pathogens. PLoS Pathogens, 8(3). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002535

Hemoglobin, a protein synthesized in maturing erythrocytes, has the purpose of moving

atmospheric oxygen to the cells of the body for cellular processes like cellular respiration.

Hemoglobin consists of two alpha and two beta chains with each containing a heme iron

complex. In the body, hemoglobin is the most abundant source of iron and as a result of iron’s

status as a vital nutrient, many bacteria extract hemoglobin for it. The processes in which this

occurs includes use of toxins to break down erythrocytes, binding of hemoglobin to the receptors

of a bacteria, removement of the heme moiety of the molecule in order to be transferred by

proteins through utilization of the proton motive force in TonB systems, movement to ABC

transports through heme movement proteins, pumping of heme into the cytoplasm, transportation

of heme throughout the cellular membrane, and breaking down of heme by heme oxygenases for

iron. This system is only used in low iron situations as a result of the immense energy that is

taken to allow for this process to occur and the prioritizing of this system by the immune system.

For plasmodium, like malaria, hemoglobin is often used as a source of amino acids. The process

of consumption of hemoglobin includes taking hemoglobin through large vacuoles or

endocytotic procedures without the use of actin and transfer of hemoglobin from cytosomes to a

acidic, actin containing vacuole where the amino acids are extracted.

Beginning with authority, the authors, Gleb Pishchany and Eric P. Skaar, are qualified to

discuss the scientific reasoning and usage of hemoglobin as it pertains to bacteria and

plasmodium because the credentials and experience of Gleb Pishchany includes a Bachelor of

Science Degree at biology, a Ph.D, and several other publications like Staphylococcus aureus

IsdB Is a Hemoglobin Receptor Required for Heme Iron Utilization and Specificity for Human
Hemoglobin Enhances Staphylococcus aureus Infection. The credentials and experience of Eric

P. Skaar includes a Ph.D, a M.P.H, being the director of the institute for Infection, Immunology

and Inflammation, a professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and several other

publications like Microbiological, pathological, inflammatory, immunological and molecular

biological aspects of periradicular disease. The contact information of one of the authors is

included in the article. Continuing with currency, even though the article was written more than

5 years ago, this source is still relevant because the information present in the article will provide

a baseline of information for a variable that will be attempted to be altered in order to solve the

research question. For coverage, the authors thoroughly evaluated how all sides of the issue

were acknowledged by the source. the authors indicated the different places authorities are

attempting to manipulate in order to solve a problem. For example, the text indicated that some

authorities believe interrupting the hemoglobin membrane receptors of bacteria might solve the

problem while other authorities believe inhibiting the hemoglobin proteases might solve the

problem. The coverage can be considered broad because it contains all of hemoglobin’s purposes

and all of the ways it is used by invading pathogen. The coverage can also be considered deep

because it goes into depth on each of the ways hemoglobin can be used by invading pathogen as

shown by the description of the process in which plasmodium consumes hemoglobin for amino

acids. Moving on to accuracy, the information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere.

For example, the author says hemoglobin consists of 2 alpha and 2 beta chains with each

allowing for transportation of oxygen from the atmosphere to the cells , which can be

corroborated by an article posted by harvard(http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/hbsynthesis.html) in

which it is stated that adult hemoglobin A consists of 2 alpha chains and 2 beta chains allowing

for oxygen to be taken into the lungs and dispersed into the tissues(collections of cells). Finally,
for objectivity, the purpose of this article is to inform the audience about the hemoglobin

structure and the process in which pathogens use the protein for their benefit. The audience

consists of medical professionals specializing in the topic. The article is appropriate for this

purpose and audience because the article contains high level vocab pertaining to the subject. For

example, the authors incorporate words like erythrocytes, senescent, and pharmacological

inhibition. .

Long, C. A., & Hoffman, S. L. (2002). Malaria--from infants to genomics to vaccines.

(Perspectives: parasitology). Science, 297(5580), 345+. Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A90163988/GPS?u=glen20233&sid=GPS&xid=8972

6814

Malaria is a devastated disease that hits low socioeconomic environments hard. If the
pandemic continues, billions of dollars will need to be used. As a result of this, several potential

solutions to the problem have risen. The first potential solution incorporates usage of a vaccine

consisting of dead P. falciparum. This method has demonstrated protection for 10 months at

minimum and would prevent the adoption of malaria for increased virulence. The second

potential solution incorporates the idea of establishing an immunity through vaccination through

investigation of the allele variants of those in malaria infested regions. The third potential

solution incorporates usage of electrophoresis and spectroscopy in order to determine the

proteins present in the P. falciparum’s life cycle. These proteins are to be used in order to

establish antigens against the P. falciparum through the use of T and B cells. The fourth potential

solution incorporates the activation of T and B cells. The process would include dendritic cells

interacting with the antigen in order to allow for T cells and B cells to interact with each other. T

Beginning with authority, the authors, Carole A. Long and Stephen L. Hoffman, are

qualified to discuss the varying potential solutions to the devastated problem that is malaria

because the credentials and experience of Carole A. Long include a Ph.D, being a professor of

microbiology and immunology, being a chairwoman of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology

study section, and several other publications including In Vitro Studies with Recombinant

Plasmodium falciparum Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (AMA1): Production and Activity of an

AMA1 Vaccine and Generation of a Multiallelic Response and Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Apical

Membrane Antigen 1: an Asexual Blood-Stage Vaccine for Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. The

experience of Stephen L. Hoffman include several publications like Genome sequence of the

human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and Cellular mechanisms of nonspecific

immunity to intracellular infection: Cytokine-induced synthesis of toxic nitrogen oxides from l-

arginine by macrophages and hepatocytes. Their contact information is not included in the article
but can be found by further inspection (For Carol A. Long- email located here

https://irp.nih.gov/pi/carole-long). Moving on to currency, even though the article was written

more than 5 years ago, this source is still relevant because it outlines the multiple potential

solutions and the arguments behind them allowing for me to better answer my research question.

For coverage, the author thoroughly evaluated how all sides of the issue were acknowledged by

the source. For example, the authors acknowledged not only the solution of the usage of a

vaccine consisting of dead P. falciparum but also acknowledged the data, reasoning, and logic

behind the other solutions like the establishing an immunity through vaccination through

investigation of the allele variants of those in malaria infested regions solutions. The coverage

can be considered broad because the author describes the many different potential solutions to

the problem. The coverage can also be considered deep because the author goes in depth,

presents studies, variations, and scientific reasoning behind each solution. With regards to

accuracy, the information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the

author says malaria induced anemia is often found in younger children, which can be

corroborated by the world health

institution(https://www.who.int/malaria/areas/high_risk_groups/children/en/) in their publication

that states severe anaemia are features more commonly found in children rather than adults.

Finally for objectivity, the purpose of this article is to inform the audience of the journal of all

the potential solutions to the malaria pandemic. The audience includes policymakers and

scientists that specialize in this field. The article is appropriate for this purpose and audience

because of the scientific vocabulary present. For example, words like sporozite and viral vector

are used throughout the article.