Nanobody generation and structural characterization of Plasmodium falciparum 6-cysteine protein Pf12p.

ABSTRACT: Surface-associated proteins play critical roles in the Plasmodium parasite life cycle and are major targets for vaccine development. The 6-cysteine (6-cys) protein family is expressed in a stage-specific manner throughout Plasmodium falciparum life cycle and characterized by the presence of 6-cys domains, which are β-sandwich domains with conserved sets of disulfide bonds. Although several 6-cys family members have been implicated to play a role in sexual stages, mosquito transmission, evasion of the host immune response and host cell invasion, the precise function of many family members is still unknown and structural information is only available for four 6-cys proteins. Here, we present to the best of our knowledge, the first crystal structure of the 6-cys protein Pf12p determined at 2.

SUBMITTER: Dietrich MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7886318 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature