title: Gene disruption reveals a dispensable role for plasmepsin VII in the Plasmodium berghei life cycle.
abstract: Plasmepsins (PM), aspartic proteases of Plasmodium, comprises a family of ten proteins that perform critical functions in Plasmodium life cycle. Except VII and VIII, functions of the remaining plasmepsin members have been well characterized. Here, we have generated a mutant parasite lacking PM VII in Plasmodium berghei using reverse genetics approach. Systematic comparison of growth kinetics and infection in both mosquito and vertebrate host revealed that PM VII depleted mutants exhibited no defects in development and progressed normally throughout the parasite life cycle. These studies suggest a dispensable role for PM VII in Plasmodium berghei life cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Babu S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Mastan
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Laboratory, SCB Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, 110 067 New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anchala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Laboratory, SCB Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, 110 067 New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India. Electronic address: kaksl@uohyd.ernet.in.
authors.forename: Kota Arun
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D034101:Sporozoites / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C089643:plasmepsin
keywords: Aspartic proteases; Mosquito stages; Plasmepsins; Plasmodium