Genetic Characterization of Plasmodium Putative Pantothenate Kinase Genes Reveals Their Essential Role in Malaria Parasite Transmission to the Mosquito

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 33518
• Main Authors: Hart, Robert J., Cornillot, Emmanuel, Abraham, Amanah, Molina, Emily, Nation, Catherine S., Ben Mamoun, Choukri, Aly, Ahmed S. I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.09.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 38/39; 42/109; 631/326/417/1716; 631/326/417/2550; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anopheles; Anopheles - parasitology; Antimicrobial agents; Aquatic insects; Biosynthesis; Biosynthetic Pathways; Coenzyme A; Coenzyme A - biosynthesis; Conserved Sequence; Developmental stages; Disease transmission; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - parasitology; Female; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene regulation; Genes, Protozoan; Human health and pathology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Life Cycle Stages; Life cycles; Life Sciences; Malaria; Malaria - genetics; Malaria - parasitology; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Models, Biological; Mosquitoes; multidisciplinary; Oocysts; Oocysts - metabolism; Pantothenate kinase; Pantothenic acid; Parasites; Parasites - enzymology; Parasites - genetics; Parasites - growth & development; Phosphorylation; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) - chemistry; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) - genetics; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) - metabolism; Phylogeny; Plasmodium; Plasmodium - enzymology; Plasmodium - genetics; Plasmodium - growth & development; Plasmodium falciparum; Protozoa; Protozoan Proteins; Protozoan Proteins - chemistry; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - metabolism; Science; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sexual stages; Sporozoites; Sporozoites - metabolism; Transcription; Transcription, Genetic; Vector-borne diseases

The metabolic machinery for the biosynthesis of Coenzyme A (CoA) from exogenous pantothenic acid (Vitamin B 5 ) has long been considered as an excellent target for the development of selective antimicrobials. Earlier studies in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have shown that pantoth...