Plasmodium berghei glycine cleavage system T-protein is non-essential for parasite survival in vertebrate and invertebrate hosts

摘要: T-protein, an aminomethyltransferase, represents one of the four components glycine cleavage system (GCS) and catalyzes transfer methylene group from H-protein intermediate to tetrahydrofolate (THF) forming N-5, N-10-methylene THF (CH2-THF) with release ammonia. The malaria parasite genome encodes T-, H- L-proteins, but not P-protein which is a decarboxylase generating aminomethylene group. A putative GCS has been considered be functional in mitochondrion despite absence detectable homologue. In present study, mitochondrial localization T-protein was confirmed by immunofluorescence its essentiality entire life cycle studied targeting locus Plasmodium berghei (Pb). PbT knock out parasites did show any growth defect asexual, sexual liver stages indicating that dispensable for survival vertebrate invertebrate hosts. homologue non-essentiality T protein suggest possible redundancy activity parasite. Nevertheless, L-proteins could essential because their involvement alpha-lcetoacid dehydrogenase reactions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.