Crystal structure of lipoate‐bound lipoate ligase 1, LipL1, from Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum lipoate protein ligase 1 ( Pf LipL1) is an ATP‐dependent ligase that belongs to the biotin/lipoate A/B protein ligase family (PFAM PF03099). Pf LipL1 is the only known canonical lipoate ligase in Pf and functions as a redox switch between two lipoylation routes in the parasite mitochondrion. Here, we report the crystal structure of a deletion construct of Pf LipL1 (PfLipL1 Δ243‐279 ) bound to lipoate, and validate the lipoylation activity of this construct in both an in vitro lipoylation assay and a cell‐based lipoylation assay. This characterization represents the first step in understanding the redox dependence of the lipoylation mechanism in malaria parasites. Proteins 2017; 85:1777–1783. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.