The <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> Artemisinin Susceptibility-Associated AP-2 Adaptin μ Subunit is Clathrin Independent and Essential for Schizont Maturation.

ABSTRACT: The efficacy of current antimalarial drugs is threatened by reduced susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin, associated with mutations in pfkelch13 Another gene with variants known to modulate the response to artemisinin encodes the μ subunit of the AP-2 adaptin trafficking complex. To elucidate the cellular role of AP-2μ in P. falciparum, we performed a conditional gene knockout, which severely disrupted schizont organization and maturation, leading to mislocalization of key merozoite proteins. AP-2μ is thus essential for blood-stage replication. We generated transgenic P. falciparum parasites expressing hemagglutinin-tagged AP-2μ and examined cellular localization by fluorescence and electron microscopy. Together with mass spectrometry analysis

SUBMITTER: Henrici RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7042695 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature