title: Pfmrk, a MO15-related protein kinase from Plasmodium falciparum. Gene cloning, sequence, stage-specific expression and chromosome localization.
abstract: Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) play a central role in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. A novel gene encoding a Cdk-like protein, Pfmrk, has been isolated from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The gene has no introns and comprises an open reading frame encoding a protein of 324 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 38 kDa. Database searches revealed a striking similarity to the Cdk subfamily with the highest similarity to human MO15 (Cdk7). The overall sequence of Pfmrk shares 62% similarity and 46% identity with human MO15, in comparison to the 49-58% similarity and 34-43% identity with other human Cdks. Pfmrk contains two unique inserts: one consisting of 5 amino acids just before the cyclin-binding motif and the other composed of 13 amino acids within the T-loop equivalent region. Southern blots of genomic DNA digests and chromosomal separations showed that Pfmrk is a single-copy gene conserved between several parasite strains and is located on chromosome 10. A 2500-nucleotide transcript of this gene is expressed predominantly in the sexual blood stages (gametocytes), suggesting that Pfmrk may be involved in sexual stage development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Targett
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D000095043:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Activating Kinase
chemical_list: C484350:PfMrk protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D011494:Protein Kinases; C097276:CILK1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D000095043:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Activating Kinase