Characterization of a putative Plasmodium falciparum SAC1 phosphoinositide-phosphatase homologue potentially required for survival during the asexual erythrocytic stages

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12762-0
• Publication Date: 2017-09-29T15:20:10Z
• Authors: Catherine Thériault; Dave Richard
• Keywords: Plasmodium (life cycle)

Abstract Despite marked reductions in morbidity and mortality the last ten years, malaria still takes a tremendous toll on human populations throughout tropical sub-tropical regions of world. The absence an effective vaccine resistance to most antimalarial drugs available demonstrate urgent need for new intervention strategies. Phosphoinositides are class lipids with critical roles numerous processes their specific subcellular distribution, generated through action kinases phosphatases, define organelle identity wide range eukaryotic cells. Recent studies have highlighted important functions phosphoinositide several parts Plasmodium lifecycle such as hemoglobin endocytosis cytokinesis during erythrocytic stage however, nothing is known regards parasite’s putative phosphatases. We present identification initial characterization homologue SAC1 phosphatase family. Our results show that protein expressed asexual blood stages it localises endoplasmic reticulum potentially Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, conditional knockdown knockout suggest minimal amount likely required survival cycle.