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Generating Genetically Modified Plasmodium berghei Sporozoites
Published on: May 5, 2023
Structure and biochemical characterization of proliferating cellular nuclear antigen from a parasitic protozoon
Cesar S Cardona-Felix1, Samuel Lara-Gonzalez, Luis G Brieba
1Grupo de Bioquímica Estructural, Laboratorio Nacional de Genomica para la Biodiversidad, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México.
Abstract:
Proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a toroidal-shaped protein that is involved in cell-cycle control, DNA replication and DNA repair. Parasitic protozoa are early-diverged eukaryotes that are responsible for neglected diseases. In this work, a PCNA from a parasitic protozoon was identified, cloned and biochemically characterized and its crystal structure was determined. Structural and biochemical studies demonstrate that PCNA from Entamoeba histolytica assembles as a homotrimer that is able to interact with and stimulate the activity of a PCNA-interacting peptide-motif protein from E. histolytica, EhDNAligI. The data indicate a conservation of the biochemical mechanisms of PCNA-mediated interactions between metazoa, yeast and parasitic protozoa.
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