Download or read book Structural Studies of Malaria Proteins written by Christina Mayer and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Automated Structural Annotation of the Malaria Proteome and Identification of Candidate Proteins for Modelling and Crystallization Studies written by Yolandi Joubert and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Malaria is the cause of over one million deaths per year, primarily in African children. The parasite responsible for the most virulent form of malaria, is Plasmodium falciparum. Protein structure plays a pivotal role in elucidating mechanisms of parasite functioning and resistance to anti-malarial drugs. Protein structure furthermore aids the determination of protein function, which can together with the structure be used to identify novel drug targets in the parasite. However, various structural features in P. falciparum proteins complicate the experimental determination of protein three dimensional structures. Furthermore, the presence of parasite-specific inserts results in reduced similarity of these proteins to orthologous proteins with experimentally determined structures. The lack of solved structures in the malaria parasite, together with limited similarities to proteins in the Protein Data Bank, necessitate genome-scale structural annotation of P. falciparum proteins. Additionally, the annotation of a range of structural features facilitates the identification of suitable targets for structural studies. An integrated structural annotation system was constructed and applied to all the predicted proteins in P. falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium yoelii. Similarity searches against the PDB, Pfam, Superfamily, PROSITE and PRINTS were included. In addition, the following predictions were made for the P. falciparum proteins: secondary structure, transmembrane helices, protein disorder, low complexity, coiled-coils and small molecule interactions. P. falciparum protein-protein interactions and proteins exported to the RBC were annotated from literature. Finally, a selection of proteins were threaded through a library of SCOP folds. All the results are stored in a relational PostgreSQL database and can be viewed through a web interface (http://deepthought.bi.up.ac.za:8080/Annotation). In order to select groups of proteins which fulfill certain criteria with regard to structural and functional features, a query tool was constructed. Using this tool, criteria regarding the presence or absence of all the predicted features can be specified. Analysis of the results obtained revealed that P. falciparum protein-interacting proteins contain a higher percentage of predicted disordered residues than non-interacting proteins. Proteins interacting with 10 or more proteins have a disordered content concentrated in the range of 60-100%, while the disorder distribution for proteins having only one interacting partner, was more evenly spread. Comparisons of structural and sequence features between the three species, revealed that P. falciparum proteins tend to be longer and vary more in length than the other two species. P. falciparum proteins also contained more predicted low complexity and disorder content than proteins from P. yoelii and P. vivax. P. falciparumprotein targets for experimental structure determination, comparative modeling and in silico docking studies were putatively identified based on structural features. For experimental structure determination, 178 targets were identi_ed. These targets contain limited contents of predicted transmembrane helix, disorder, coiled-coils, low complexity and signal peptide, as these features may complicate steps in the experimental structure determination procedure. In addition, the targets display low similarity to proteins in the PDB. Comparisons of the targets to proteins with crystal structures, revealed that the structures and predicted targets had similar sequence properties and predicted structural features. A group of 373 proteins which displayed high levels of similarity to proteins in the PDB, were identified as targets for comparitive modeling studies. Finally, 197 targets for in silico docking were identified based on predicted small molecule interactions and the availability of a 3D structure.
Download or read book Malaria written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1991-02-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Malaria is making a dramatic comeback in the world. The disease is the foremost health challenge in Africa south of the Sahara, and people traveling to malarious areas are at increased risk of malaria-related sickness and death. This book examines the prospects for bringing malaria under control, with specific recommendations for U.S. policy, directions for research and program funding, and appropriate roles for federal and international agencies and the medical and public health communities. The volume reports on the current status of malaria research, prevention, and control efforts worldwide. The authors present study results and commentary on the: Nature, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and epidemiology of malaria. Biology of the malaria parasite and its vector. Prospects for developing malaria vaccines and improved treatments. Economic, social, and behavioral factors in malaria control.
Download or read book Structural Studies of the Malarial Proteins PfEMP1 and MIF from Plasmodium Falciparum written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Heat Shock Proteins of Malaria written by Addmore Shonhai and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-09-26 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition describes the role of heat shock proteins in the life cycle of malaria parasites, particularly in the context of intracellular parasite stages. Thoroughly revised, this work provides a general introduction to the structural and functional features of heat shock proteins with a special focus on their role as molecular chaperones in ensuring protein quality control. The emphasis is on the heat shock protein families from Plasmodium falciparum, and their role in proteostasis and the development of malaria pathology. Moreover, the authors explore the latest prospects of targeting heat shock proteins in antimalarial drug discovery either directly or in combination therapies. Readers will experience a functional analysis of the individual families of heat shock proteins and their cooperation in functional networks, including both the parasite-resident proteome and the exportome released into host cells during intracellular stages. Subcellular and extracellular organelles such as the apicoplast and the Maurer’s Clefts associated with Plasmodium species are discussed in detail. The book highlights the role of heat shock proteins in the development and function of these structures. Biochemical expertise and the inclusion of novel therapeutic solutions make this collection a unique reference for experts in heat shock protein research, parasitology and infectious diseases, cell stress, molecular biology and drug discovery. Not least, advances in malaria control will contribute to ending epidemics and ensuring healthy lives in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Download or read book Biochemical Biophysical and Structural Studies of a Protein Complex Implicated in the Erythrocyte Interaction with the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum written by Manuel Blanc and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Structural Studies on Plasmodium Falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 PfEMP1 Malaria Antigens Using Small Angle X Ray Scattering SAXS written by Stig Christoffersen and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Structural and Functional Studies of Heme Binding Proteins Toward the Understanding of Malaria written by Allena Mistral Goren and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Malaria, a potentially lethal parasitic infection, causes approximately half a million deaths each year. Currently, nearly half of the world's population is at risk of being infected with Plasmodium, the parasite causing malaria. In this thesis, we use biochemical and biophysical techniques to describe the iron binding properties of two proteins relevant to the biological study of Plasmodium falciparum. The first is a previously uncharacterized protein, which we have named MFP, or malarial ferrous protein, that is found in the parasitophorous vacuole of Plasmodium. The second is mRuby2, a fluorescent probe often utilized in biological work to track the localization of proteins. Herein, we report on the novel heme-binding properties of both proteins. We have identified a novel function of mRuby2, a commonly used fluorescent probe. Upon incubation with heme, the fluorescence of mRuby2 decreases, providing a potential use for the protein as a heme probe as well as a limitation of its utility for in vivo localization studies. MFP is a putative lipocalin-like protein that we have identified as binding both an [Fe-S] cluster and a heme moiety. We show that the [4Fe-4S] cluster of MFP inhibits heme binding to the protein and have proposed a potential structural model to explain this finding. Taken together, our data show a complicated metal-binding protein with a yet unknown in vivo function. The identification and initial characterization of MFP, a conserved protein essential for Plasmodium viability during the blood stage of infection, has provided a new potential therapeutic target for the treatment of malaria.
Download or read book Studies on the Structure and Function of the Major Merozoite Surface Protein MSP1 of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum written by Jonathan Andrew Chappel and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book CryoEM Enabled Approaches to Structure Determination of Endogenous Protein Complexes Implicated in the Pathogenesis of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum written by Chi-Min Ho and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The complexity and breadth of the host-cell remodeling machinery in the malaria parasite P. falciparum make it a rich and exciting system for the study of host-pathogen interfaces, particularly as many of the molecular mechanisms underlying this parasite's ability to hijack human red blood cells remain unclear. Furthermore, the P. falciparum proteome has proven recalcitrant to structural and biochemical characterization using recombinant methods, making it an intriguing model system for the development of new methods that leverage recent advances in cryoEM to enable structural studies of previously intractable systems at near-atomic resolution. The work presented here makes significant contributions in both these regards. First, we use a targeted, CRISPR-enabled "top down" approach to determine near-atomic resolution structures of the unique malaria parasite translocon PTEX, which we purified directly from P. falciparum parasites in multiple functional states, yielding the first near-atomic resolution cryoEM structures of a protein isolated directly from an endogenous source using an epitope tag inserted into the endogenous locus with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. We then developed a "bottom up" endogenous structural proteomics method whereby protein complexes enriched directly from the cellular milieu are identified by imaging and structure determination using cryoEM and mass spectrometry. As a proof of principle, we successfully used this approach to obtain near-atomic resolution structures of multiple protein complexes from the P. falciparum proteome, which has previously proven recalcitrant to expression in recombinant systems, precluding structure determination by X-ray crystallography or NMR. The body of work described here addresses a known need for methods that overcome the limitations of structural biology approaches that depend on recombinant systems, opening the door for high resolution structure determination of a vast number of previously intractable biological systems.
Download or read book Advances in Malaria Research written by Deepak Gaur and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 1116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thoroughly reviews our current understanding of malarial biology Explores the subject with insights from post-genomic technologies Looks broadly at the disease, vectors of infection, and treatment and prevention strategies A timely publication with chapters written by global researchers leaders
Download or read book Studies on Protein Synthesis MacHinery of Malaria Parasite written by Tarun Kumar Bhatt and published by LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is dedicated to my villagers who lost there life due to malarial epidemics. In present work, I have shown the systematic studies of identifying new and effective drug targets against malaria parasite, Plasmodium. We utilized different strategy and disciplines starting from Bioinformatics, Biochemistry to Immunology and Structural Biology to unveil the hidden potential of very basic group of proteins, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs). This group of proteins are very primitive and known to involve in protein synthesis machinery of cell. But, apart from doing there canonical function, these proteins are also involved in various other crucial pathways of cell. In Plasmodium, we have shown that Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (YRS)might be one of the important proteins or factors indulge in host immune modulation.
Download or read book Drug Targets for Plasmodium Falciparum Historic to Future Perspectives written by Mohammed Tarique and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Malaria written by and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Malaria represents a vast databank of information about the study of malaria. It provides an overview of the historical, rapid and significant developments that have occurred in malaria research, including the 2002 genome sequencing of Plasmodium falciparum and its mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae. This work provides a concise source of up-to-date research findings in the form of definitions and essays and present comprehensive coverage of topics from history to findings to diagnosis and treatment, written by recognized malaria researchers with practical experience. It appeals to a diverse audience, including malaria researchers, teachers, investigators and public health professionals.
Download or read book An Alternative Secretory Pathway in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum written by Thuvaraka Thavayogarajah and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2017-08-31 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2014 in the subject Biology - Diseases, Health, Nutrition, grade: 1.3, University of Marburg (European virtual Institute for Malaria Research), language: English, abstract: This study focuses on the discovery of an alternative secretory pathway to the ER/Golgi route in the malaria parasite P. falciparum in infected RBCs. Two proteins appeared to be promising candidates of an alternative secretory pathway: the PfADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) and the Pfadenylate kinase 2 (AK2). Both proteins contained an N-myristoylation site at their N-terminus, which is indicative for N-myristoylation. N-myristoylation is a co-translational modification of a protein, whereby a fatty acid (myristate) is irreversibly attached to the glycine residue at the N-terminus of a protein via the PfN-myristoyltransferase (NMT). A preceding proteomic analysis of the parasitophorous vacuole and a reporter construct study proposed for both PfARF1 (determined by a proteomic study) and PfAK2 (determined by a reporter construct study) PV localization although both proteins lacked a signal peptide. That’s why it was hypothesized whether or not N-myristoylation would drive protein secretion across the parasite plasma membrane (PPM). The subcellular localization of the PfARF1/GFP parasites and the PfAK2/GFP parasites, respectively, were analyzed via epifluorescence microscopy and biochemical methods. In parallel, another batch of reporter constructs were generated and analyzed, where the N-myristoylation site of PfARF1 (this study) and PfAK2 (Ma et al., 2012), respectively, was removed (PfARF1G2A/GFP and PfAK2G2A/GFP). Live cell imaging showed that the fusion protein ARF1/GFP was localized as dot-like structures in the parasite. In contrast, the phenotype of the fusion protein of the PfARF1G2A/GFP parasites showed an evenly distributed signal in the parasite cytosol. Further analysis of the subcellular localization of the PfARF1 strongly supports its localization to compartments of the early secretory pathway of the parasite, but no localization in the PV. In contrast, the fusion protein PfAK2/GFP localized to a ring-like structure around the parasite indicating PV localization. The PfAK2G2A/GFP parasites showed a cytosolic localization of the fusion protein (Ma et al., 2012). Biochemical analyses revaled that the fusion protein PfAK2/GFP was secreted into the PV when the N-myristoylation site was present. Furthermore, it could be shown that the N-terminus of the PfAK2 protein is sufficient for parasite plasma membrane targeting, stable membrane anchoring and subsequent protein translocation across the PPM.
Download or read book Functional Biochemical and Structural Analyses of Two Plasmodium Membrane Proteins written by Amy Marigot Clarke and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium are the causative agent of malaria. The most severe form of human malaria is caused by P. falciparum, responsible for approximately three quarters of a million deaths each year. One major problem in the treatment of malaria is resistance to existing chemotherapies. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify and validate novel drug targets. A possible recently identified drug target is the PfNitA protein of P. falciparum which contains orthologues in other Plasmodium species but is absent from humans. The gene is annotated as a putative formate-nitrite transporter and orthologues are found in a range of prokaryotes as well as the lower eukaryotes algae and fungi. To determine the biological function of the protein, pfnita was expressed in Escherichia coli strains lacking the endogenous formate and nitrite transporters. In order to analyse the essentiality of the gene a reverse genetics approach was taken and the data discussed. Results indicate that the PfNitA protein is located in the plasma membrane and digestive vacuole of intraerythrocytic parasites suggesting a role in the uptake or excretion of metabolites. A second complexity with regard to treatment is the lack of a vaccine. A problem in crating a vaccine is antigenic variation. The PIR family of proteins contain a so-called hypervariable domain that has led to the suggestion that the family may play a role in antigenic variation. The objective of the work carried out in this thesis was to investigate the topology and structure of the PcCir2 protein of Plasmodium chabaudi, using E. coli as the expression host. The topology of Cir2 has been examined by means of reporter fusions and overexpression/purification studies undertaken towards crystallisation. As the PcCir2 amino acid sequence does not show significant homology to other proteins, structural data may provide insights into potential functional or binding domains.
