title: Plasmodium falciparum single-stranded DNA-binding protein (PfSSB) interacts with PfPrex helicase and modulates its activity.
abstract: Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) apicoplast is an essential organelle harbouring a ~35-kb circular genome. Prokaryotic nature of this organelle and its components makes it an attractive therapeutic target. The single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) and multidomain protein PfPrex are important apicoplast replication proteins. However, regulation of these proteins through protein-protein interaction remains largely unknown. Here, we report that P. falciparum single-stranded DNA-binding protein (PfSSB) interacts with PfPrex helicase and modulates its activity. N-terminal domain of PfSSB is involved in this interaction, whereas C-terminal domain plays a pivotal role in the modulation of helicase activity. These results further, to our knowledge, understand apicoplast DNA replication.
authors.affiliation: Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Krishanu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhowmick
authors.forename: Suman K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Dhar
keywords: 
  Plasmodium falciparum
  ; PfPrex helicase; apicoplast; replication; single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB)