PK4, a eukaryotic initiation factor 2α(eIF2α) kinase, is essential for the development of the erythrocytic cycle of Plasmodium.

ABSTRACT: In response to environmental stresses, the mammalian serine threonine kinases PERK, GCN2, HRI, and PKR phosphorylate the regulatory serine 51 of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) to inhibit global protein synthesis. Plasmodium, the protozoan that causes malaria, expresses three eIF2α kinases: IK1, IK2, and PK4. Like GCN2, IK1 regulates stress response to amino acid starvation. IK2 inhibits development of malaria sporozoites present in the mosquito salivary glands. Here we show that the phosphorylation by PK4 of the regulatory serine 59 of Plasmodium eIF2α is essential for the completion of the parasite's erythrocytic cycle that causes disease in humans. PK4 activity leads to the arrest of global protein synthesis in schizonts, where ontogeny of daughter merozoites tak

SUBMITTER: Zhang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3309761 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature