Issue 39, 2018, Issue in Progress

Egress and invasion machinery of malaria: an in-depth look into the structural and functional features of the flap dynamics of plasmepsin IX and X

Abstract

Plasmepsins, a family of aspartic proteases expressed by Plasmodium falciparum parasite, have been identified as key mediators in the onset of lethal malaria. Precedence has been placed on this family of enzymes due their essential role in the virulence of the parasite, thus highlighting their importance as novel drug targets. A previously published study by our group proposed a set of parameters used to define the flap motion of aspartic proteases. These parameters were used in the study of Plm I–V and focused on the flap flexibility as well as structural dynamics. Recent studies have highlighted the essential role played by Plm IX and X in egress and invasion of the malarial parasite. This study aims to close the gap on the latter family, investigating the flap dynamics of Plms IX and X. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated an “open and close” mechanism at the region of the catalytic site. Further computation of the dihedral angles at the catalytic region revealed tractability at both the flap tip and flexible loop. This structural versatility enhances the interaction of variant ligand sizes, in comparison to other Plm family members. The results obtained from this study signify the essential role of structural flap dynamics and its resultant effect on the binding landscapes of Plm IX and X. We believe that this unique structural mechanism may be integrated in the design and development of effective anti-malarial drugs.

Graphical abstract: Egress and invasion machinery of malaria: an in-depth look into the structural and functional features of the flap dynamics of plasmepsin IX and X

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 May 2018
Accepted
07 Jun 2018
First published
13 Jun 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2018,8, 21829-21840

Egress and invasion machinery of malaria: an in-depth look into the structural and functional features of the flap dynamics of plasmepsin IX and X

G. Munsamy, P. Ramharack and M. E. S. Soliman, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 21829 DOI: 10.1039/C8RA04360D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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