Dephospho-CoA kinase, a nuclear-encoded apicoplast protein, remains active and essential after Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast disruption.

ABSTRACT: Malaria parasites contain an essential organelle called the apicoplast that houses metabolic pathways for fatty acid, heme, isoprenoid, and iron-sulfur cluster synthesis. Surprisingly, malaria parasites can survive without the apicoplast as long as the isoprenoid precursor isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is supplemented in the growth medium, making it appear that isoprenoid synthesis is the only essential function of the organelle in blood-stage parasites. In the work described here, we localized an enzyme responsible for coenzyme A synthesis, DPCK, to the apicoplast, but we were unable to delete DPCK, even in the presence of IPP. However, once the endogenous DPCK was complemented with the E. coli DPCK (EcDPCK), we were successful in deleting it. We were then able to show that DPCK activit

SUBMITTER: Swift RP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8365264 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature