Biochemical and cellular characterisation of the Plasmodium falciparum M1 alanyl aminopeptidase (Pf M1AAP) and M17 leucyl aminopeptidase (Pf M17LAP)
Mathew, Rency Wunderlich, Juliane Thivierge, Karine Cwiklinski, Krystyna Dumont, Claire Tilley, Leann Rohrbach, Petra Dalton, John P.
Mathew, Rency
Wunderlich, Juliane
Thivierge, Karine
Cwiklinski, Krystyna
Dumont, Claire
Tilley, Leann
Rohrbach, Petra
Dalton, John P.
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Publication Date
2021-02-03
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Mathew, Rency, Wunderlich, Juliane, Thivierge, Karine, Cwiklinski, Krystyna, Dumont, Claire, Tilley, Leann, Rohrbach, Petra, Dalton, John P. (2021). Biochemical and cellular characterisation of the Plasmodium falciparum M1 alanyl aminopeptidase (PfM1AAP) and M17 leucyl aminopeptidase (PfM17LAP). Scientific Reports, 11(1), 2854. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-82499-4
Abstract
The Plasmodium falciparum M1 alanyl aminopeptidase and M17 leucyl aminopeptidase, PfM1AAP and PfM17LAP, are potential targets for novel anti-malarial drug development. Inhibitors of these aminopeptidases have been shown to kill malaria parasites in culture and reduce parasite growth in murine models. The two enzymes may function in the terminal stages of haemoglobin digestion, providing free amino acids for protein synthesis by the rapidly growing intra-erythrocytic parasites. Here we have performed a comparative cellular and biochemical characterisation of the two enzymes. Cell fractionation and immunolocalisation studies reveal that both enzymes are associated with the soluble cytosolic fraction of the parasite, with no evidence that they are present within other compartments, such as the digestive vacuole (DV). Enzyme kinetic studies show that the optimal pH of both enzymes is in the neutral range (pH 7.0–8.0), although PfM1AAP also possesses some activity (< 20%) at the lower pH range of 5.0–5.5. The data supports the proposal that PfM1AAP and PfM17LAP function in the cytoplasm of the parasite, likely in the degradation of haemoglobin-derived peptides generated in the DV and transported to the cytosol.
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Nature Research
Publisher DOI
10.1038/s41598-021-82499-4
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)