The Plasmodium falciparum MESA erythrocyte cytoskeleton-binding (MEC) motif binds to erythrocyte ankyrin.

ABSTRACT: The MESA erythrocyte cytoskeleton binding (MEC) motif is a 13-amino acid sequence found in 14 exported Plasmodium falciparum proteins. First identified in the P. falciparum Mature-parasite-infected Erythrocyte Surface Antigen (MESA), the MEC motif is sufficient to target proteins to the infected red blood cell cytoskeleton. To identify host cell targets, purified MESA MEC motif was incubated with a soluble extract from uninfected erythrocytes, precipitated and subjected to mass spectrometry. The most abundant co-purifying protein was erythrocyte ankyrin (ANK1). A direct interaction between the MEC motif and ANK1 was independently verified using co-purification experiments, the split-luciferase assay, and the yeast two-hybrid assay. A systematic mutational analysis of the core MEC motif dem

SUBMITTER: Kilili GK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7020240 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature