Direct Tests of Cytochrome Function in the Electron Transport Chain of Malaria Parasites.

ABSTRACT: The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) of Plasmodium malaria parasites is a major antimalarial drug target, but critical cytochrome functions remain unstudied and enigmatic. Parasites express two distinct cyt c homologs ( c and c -2) with unusually sparse sequence identity and uncertain fitness contributions. P. falciparum cyt c -2 is the most divergent eukaryotic cyt c homolog currently known and has sequence features predicted to be incompatible with canonical ETC function. We tagged both cyt c homologs and the related cyt c ₁ for inducible knockdown. Translational repression of cyt c and cyt c ₁ was lethal to parasites, which died from ETC dysfunction and impaired ubiquinone recy

SUBMITTER: Espino-Sanchez TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9900762 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature