Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
13:06
Analysis of Single-cell Gene Transcription by RNA Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH)
Published on: October 7, 2012
Plasmodium falciparum aldolase: gene structure and localization
1Department of Molecular Biology, Behringwerke AG, Marburg, F.R.G.
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Researchers identified the fructose bisphosphate aldolase gene in Plasmodium falciparum. This enzyme is crucial for parasite survival and shows high conservation across species, offering potential therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Parasitology
- Enzymology
Background:
- Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria, a significant global health burden.
- Fructose bisphosphate aldolase is a key glycolytic enzyme essential for parasite energy metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the gene and protein of fructose bisphosphate aldolase in Plasmodium falciparum.
- To investigate the enzyme's structure, function, and localization within the parasite.
Main Methods:
- Genomic cloning and sequencing of the aldolase gene.
- Expression of the recombinant protein in Escherichia coli.
- Antibody-based detection and localization studies using antisera.
- Enzyme activity assays and phospholipase C digestion.
Main Results:
- The Plasmodium falciparum aldolase gene contains one intron, yielding a 40,105 Da protein with 61-68% homology to eukaryotic aldolases.
- The expressed protein is enzymatically active and recognized by antisera that confer protection against infection.
- Aldolase is found in the cytoplasm in an active form and associated with the membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor in an inactive form.
Conclusions:
- The fructose bisphosphate aldolase of Plasmodium falciparum is a highly conserved, essential enzyme.
- Its distinct localization and potential for immune recognition highlight its significance as a target for antimalarial drug development.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:31ABC Transporters: Exporter
ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporter is the largest superfamily of integral membrane proteins. The transporters have transmembrane-binding domains (TMDs) and nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs). The TMDs are specific to their substrates, whereas the NBDs are similar to engines that complete ATP hydrolysis to complete the substrate transport. They can be full transporters consisting of two TMDs and NBDs, half transporters with one TMD and NBD, while some encoded with a single TMD or NBD are...
02:32Exon Recombination
The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes.
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
01:29Malaria
Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...