title: Isolation and functional characterization of a dynamin-like gene from Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: A novel dynamin-like GTPase gene, Pfdyn1, was cloned from an asexual stage cDNA library of Plasmodium falciparum Dd2 strain. Pfdyn1 contains a highly conserved N-terminal tripartite GTPase domain, a coiled-coil region, and a C-terminal 129 aa unknown function domain. Like yeast Vps1p, it lacks pleckstrin homology domain and proline-rich region. Western blot analysis showed that Pfdyn1 is a Triton X-100 insoluble protein expressed only in the mature sub-stage. Morphological studies indicated that Pfdyn1 is partly co-localized with PfGRP, a known ER-resident protein, and localizes diffusely with several membrane structures and a 60-100 nm vesicle both inside and on surface of the parasites and also in the cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes. The dsRNA originated by C-terminus fragment of Pfdyn1 inhibits markedly the growth of P. falciparum parasite at the erythrocyte stage. Those data showed that Pfdyn1 is a conservative, membrane related protein and plays an essential role for the survival of Plasmodium parasite.
authors.affiliation: Department of Etiology, Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
authors.forename: Huiliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhifu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yahui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lianhui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D034281:Dynamins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D034281:Dynamins