Isoprenoid biosynthesis in the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Autor: Fabiana Morandi Jordão, Emília Akemi Kimura, Alejandro Miguel Katzin
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2011
Předmět:
Zdroj: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol 106, Iss suppl 1, Pp 134-141 (2011)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1678-8060
0074-0276
DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02762011000900018
Popis: The development of new drugs is one strategy for malaria control. Biochemical pathways localised in the apicoplast of the parasite, such as the synthesis of isoprenic precursors, are excellent targets because they are different or absent in the human host. Isoprenoids are a large and highly diverse group of natural products with many functions and their synthesis is essential for the parasite's survival. During the last few years, the genes, enzymes, intermediates and mechanisms of this biosynthetic route have been elucidated. In this review, we comment on some aspects of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway and discuss the presence of diverse isoprenic products such as dolichol, ubiquinone, carotenoids, menaquinone and isoprenylated proteins, which are biosynthesised during the intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum.
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