title: A distinct member of the aspartic proteinase gene family from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: A gene (hap) transcribed during the intra-erythrocytic life cycle stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum was cloned and sequenced. It was found to encode a protein belonging to the aspartic proteinase family but which carried replacements of catalytically crucial residues in the hallmark sequences contributing to the active site of this type of proteinase. Consideration is given as to whether this protein is the first known parasite equivalent of the pregnancy-associated glycoproteins that have been documented in ungulate mammals. Alternatively, it may be operative as a new type of proteinase with a distinct catalytic mechanism. In this event, since no counterpart is known to exist in humans, it affords an attractive potential target against which to develop new anti-malarial drugs.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, UK. berry@cf.ac.uk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matharu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Horrocks
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Certa
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Ridley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bur
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kay
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D020134:Catalytic Domain / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases