Towards a molecular understanding of the apicomplexan actin motor: on a road to novel targets for malaria remedies?

Apicomplexan parasites are the causative agents of notorious human and animal diseases that give rise to considerable human suffering and economic losses worldwide. The most prominent parasites of this phylum are the malaria‐causing Plasmodium species, which are widespread in tropical and subtropica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications Structural biology communications, 2015-05, Vol.71 (5), p.500-513
Main Authors: Kumpula, Esa-Pekka, Kursula, Inari
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
actin polymerization
Actins - chemistry
Actins - metabolism
Animal diseases
Animals
Apicomplexa - chemistry
Apicomplexa - metabolism
Comprehension
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CURRENTS
cytoskeleton
DESIGN
Drug Delivery Systems - methods
Drug Delivery Systems - trends
drug design
gliding motility
Humans
LOSSES
malaria
Malaria - drug therapy
Malaria - metabolism
MICROTUBULES
Molecular Parasitology
Parasites
parasitology
PLASMA
Protein Structure, Secondary
Protein Structure, Tertiary
Protozoa
regulation
REVIEWS
Toxoplasma - chemistry
Toxoplasma - drug effects
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Summary:Apicomplexan parasites are the causative agents of notorious human and animal diseases that give rise to considerable human suffering and economic losses worldwide. The most prominent parasites of this phylum are the malaria‐causing Plasmodium species, which are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, and Toxoplasma gondii, which infects one third of the world's population. These parasites share a common form of gliding motility which relies on an actin–myosin motor. The components of this motor and the actin‐regulatory proteins in Apicomplexa have unique features compared with all other eukaryotes. This, together with the crucial roles of these proteins, makes them attractive targets for structure‐based drug design. In recent years, several structures of glideosome components, in particular of actins and actin regulators from apicomplexan parasites, have been determined, which will hopefully soon allow the creation of a complete molecular picture of the parasite actin–myosin motor and its regulatory machinery. Here, current knowledge of the function of this motor is reviewed from a structural perspective.
ISSN:2053-230X
2053-230X
DOI:10.1107/S2053230X1500391X