The Plasmodium falciparum malaria M1 alanyl aminopeptidase (PfA-M1): insights of catalytic mechanism and function from MD simulations.

ABSTRACT: Malaria caused by several species of Plasmodium is major parasitic disease of humans, causing 1-3 million deaths worldwide annually. The widespread resistance of the human parasite to current drug therapies is of major concern making the identification of new drug targets urgent. While the parasite grows and multiplies inside the host erythrocyte it degrades the host cell hemoglobin and utilizes the released amino acids to synthesize its own proteins. The P. falciparum malarial M1 alanyl-aminopeptidase (PfA-M1) is an enzyme involved in the terminal stages of hemoglobin digestion and the generation of an amino acid pool within the parasite. The enzyme has been validated as a potential drug target since inhibitors of the enzyme block parasite growth in vitro and in vivo. In order to gain fur

SUBMITTER: Jones PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3244404 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature