AI Article Synopsis
- Malaria parasites have limited post-translational modifications of proteins with certain glycans, but these modifications are crucial for specific proteins that play key roles in the parasite's lifecycle.
- Glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) are the main type of glycan synthesized by these parasites and are essential for their survival, as they anchor proteins needed for development, movement, and invading host cells.
- Understanding the structures and functions of these glycan modifications is vital for advancing drug and vaccine development against malaria.
Article Abstract
In malaria parasites, although post-translational modification of proteins with N-. O-, and C-glycosidic bond-linked glycans is limited, it is confined to relatively fewer proteins in which the glycans are present at significant levels and may have important functions. Furthermore, several proteins are modified with glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) which represent the predominant glycan synthesized by parasites. Modification of proteins with GPIs is obligatory for parasite survival as GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) play essential roles in all life cycle stages of the parasites, including development, egress, gametogenesis, motility, and host cell adhesion and invasion. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on the structures and potential functions of the glycan moieties of parasite proteins. The knowledge has important implications for the development of drugs and vaccines for malaria.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10923157 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2023.12.006 | DOI Listing |
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