Title
Protein prenyl transferase activities of Plasmodium falciparum
Abbreviated Journal Title
Mol. Biochem. Parasitol.
Keywords
protein prenylation; Plasmodium falciparum; farnesyl transferase; geranylgeranyl transferase; schizont; trophozoite; HUMAN MALARIA PARASITES; GTP-BINDING PROTEINS; SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI; TRYPANOSOMA-BRUCEI; RAS FARNESYLATION; FARNESYLTRANSFERASE; INHIBITORS; GERANYLGERANYLTRANSFERASE; ISOPRENYLATION; MEVALONATE; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Parasitology
Abstract
Prenylated proteins have been shown to function in important cellular regulatory processes including signal transduction. The enzymes involved in protein prenylation, farnesyl transferase and geranylgeranyl transferase, have been recent targets for development of cancer chemotherapeutics, We have initiated a systematic study of protein prenyl transferases of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, to determine whether these enzymes can be developed as targets for antimalarial chemotherapy. We report here the identification of protein farnesyl transferase and protein geranylgeranyl transferase-I in the malaria parasite, P. falciparum. The farnesyl transferase has been partially purified from the cytosolic fraction through ammonium sulfate precipitation and Mono-Q chromatography. Farnesyl and geranylgeranyl transferase-I activities are present at all stages of P. falciparum intraerythrocytic development with maximum specific activity in the ring stage. Geranylgeranyl transferase-I specific activity is two times that of farnesyl transferase in the ring stage. Peptidomimetics and prenyl analogues of protein farnesyl transferase substrates were tested as in vitro inhibitors of partially purified P. falciparum prenyl transferase and of malaria parasite growth. The peptidomimetics were significantly more potent inhibitors than lipid substrate analogues of both the activity of Mono-Q purified enzyme and parasite growth in intraerythrocytic cultures. Exposure of the parasite to the peptidomimetic L-745,631 also showed significant inhibition of morphological development beyond the trophozoite stage. These studies suggest the potential of designing or identifying differential inhibitors of P. falciparum and mammalian prenyl transferases as an approach to novel malaria therapy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Journal Title
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology
Volume
94
Issue/Number
2
Publication Date
1-1-1998
Document Type
Article
Language
English
First Page
175
Last Page
184
WOS Identifier
ISSN
0166-6851
Recommended Citation
"Protein prenyl transferase activities of Plasmodium falciparum" (1998). Faculty Bibliography 1990s. 2201.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib1990/2201
Comments
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