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The carbon and energy sources of the non‐photosynthetic plastid in the malaria parasite
Author(s) -
Lim Liting,
Linka Marc,
Mullin Kylie A.,
Weber Andreas P.M.,
McFadden Geoffrey I.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.11.097
Subject(s) - apicoplast , plastid , biology , photosynthesis , parasite hosting , malaria , biochemistry , apicomplexa , plasmodium falciparum , microbiology and biotechnology , chloroplast , gene , world wide web , computer science , immunology
The malaria parasite harbours an indispensable plastid known as the ‘apicoplast’. The apicoplast's exact role remains uncertain, but it houses components involved in fatty acid, isoprenoid and haem biosyntheses. These pathways offer opportunities to develop anti‐malarials. In the absence of photosynthesis, how apicoplast anabolism is fuelled is unclear. Here we investigated plant‐like transporters of the apicoplast and measured their substrate preferences using a novel cell‐free assay system to explore the carbon and energy sources of the apicoplast. The transporters exchange triose phosphate and phospho enol pyruvate for inorganic phosphate, demonstrating that the apicoplast taps into host‐derived glucose to fuel its metabolism.