Atomic Resolution Homology Models and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Plasmodium falciparum Tubulins

Microtubules are tubulin polymers present in the eukaryotic cytoskeleton essential for structural stability and cell division that are also roadways for intracellular transport of vesicles and organelles. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum , apart from providing structural stability and cell division, microtubules also facilitate important biological activities crucial for parasite survival in hosts, such as egression and motility. Hence, parasite structures and processes involving microtubules are among the most important drug targets for discovering much-needed novel Plasmodium inhibitors. The current study aims to construct reliable and high-quality 3D models of α-, β-, and γ-tubulins using various modeling techniques. We identified a common binding pocket specific to Plasmodium α-, β-, and γ-tubulins. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of the Plasmodium tubulin 3D structures. The models generated in the present study may be used for protein-protein and protein-drug interaction investigations targeted toward designing malaria parasite tubulin-specific inhibitors.