Purification and initial characterization of Plasmodium falciparum K⁺ channels, PfKch1 and PfKch2 produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ABSTRACT: Resistance towards known antimalarial drugs poses a significant problem, urging for novel drugs that target vital proteins in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. However, recombinant production of malaria proteins is notoriously difficult. To address this, we have investigated two putative K⁺ channels, PfKch1 and PfKch2, identified in the P. falciparum genome. We show that PfKch1 and PfKch2 and a C-terminally truncated version of PfKch1 (PfKch1^1-1094) could indeed be functionally expressed in vivo, since a K⁺-uptake deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain was complemented by the P. falciparum cDNAs. PfKch1^1-1094-GFP and GFP-PfKch2 fusion proteins were overexpressed in yeast, purified and reconstituted in lipid bilayers to determine thei

SUBMITTER: Molbaek K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7507820 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature