Function of plastids in human parasites
Waller, R.F., Keeling, P.J., Lang-Unnasch, N., Handman, E., McFadden, G.I.
Plant Cell Biology Research Centre, School of Botany, University of Melbourne,
Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
Recent identification of a vestigial, apparently non-photosynthetic plastid in malaria (Plasmodium) and Toxoplasma has engendered considerable interest in its function. Indispensability of the plastid suggests it provides some essential function(s) to parasites but complete sequences of the Plasmodium and Toxoplasma plastid genomes have offered no clue as to what this function might be. Here we report that nuclear-encoded genes whose products are targeted to the plastid include proteins involved in fatty acid biosynthesis. From Toxoplasma and Plasmodium we have characterised translational genes rps9 and rpl28, and fatty acid biosynthesis genes acpP and fabH, and examined their intra-cellular targeting. Our data implicate fatty acid biosynthesis as a likely function of the parasite plastid and provide the first
rationale for its retention. Furthermore, the genes identified here are of a bacterial/plastid type fatty acid biosynthesis distinct from the equivalent pathway found in animals thus making fatty acid biosynthesis a potential target for chemical therapeutics directed against malaria, toxoplasmosis, and other apicomplexan diseases.
| LOCATION |
DATE |
TIME |
| Lecture Hall I |
Monday, April 6 |
09:00 am |