Direct tests of cytochrome c and c₁ functions in the electron transport chain of malaria parasites.

ABSTRACT: The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) of Plasmodium malaria parasites is a major antimalarial drug target, but critical cytochrome (cyt) functions remain unstudied and enigmatic. Parasites express two distinct cyt c homologs (c and c-2) with unusually sparse sequence identity and uncertain fitness contributions. P. falciparum cyt c-2 is the most divergent eukaryotic cyt c homolog currently known and has sequence features predicted to be incompatible with canonical ETC function. We tagged both cyt c homologs and the related cyt c₁ for inducible knockdown. Translational repression of cyt c and cyt c₁ was lethal to parasites, which died from ETC dysfunction and impaired ubiquinone rec

SUBMITTER: Espino-Sanchez TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10175771 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature