Autocatalytic activation of a malarial egress protease is druggable and requires a protein cofactor

ABSTRACT: Malaria parasite egress from host erythrocytes (RBCs) is regulated by discharge of a parasite serine protease called SUB1 into the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). There, SUB1 activates a PV-resident cysteine protease called SERA6, enabling host RBC rupture through SERA6-mediated degradation of the RBC cytoskeleton protein beta-spectrin. Here we show that activation of Plasmodium falciparum SERA6 involves a second, autocatalytic step that is triggered by SUB1 cleavage. Unexpectedly, autoproteolytic maturation of SERA6 requires interaction in multimolecular complexes with a distinct PV-located protein cofactor, MSA180, that is itself a SUB1 substrate. Genetic ablation of MSA180 mimics SERA6 disruption, producing a fatal block in beta-spectrin cleavage and RBC rupture. Drug-like inhibitors of S

SUBMITTER: Dr. Michele, SY Tan 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-EMBOJ-2020-107226 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other