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Mediator Complex of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum Associates with Evolutionarily Novel Subunits

Uthra Balasubramaniyan Iyer1, Jung Eun Park1, Siu Kwan Sze1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 637551, Singapore.

ACS Omega
|May 13, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Researchers found physical evidence of the Mediator complex in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This discovery reveals its role in gene expression and potential links to endoplasmic reticulum stress responses.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Parasitology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The Mediator complex is a crucial regulator of gene expression in eukaryotes, interacting with RNA polymerase II.
  • The genome of Plasmodium falciparum, the human malaria parasite, was predicted to contain several Mediator subunits.
  • Understanding gene regulation in P. falciparum is vital for developing new antimalarial strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide physical evidence for the existence of a Mediator complex in Plasmodium falciparum.
  • To identify the subunits and interaction partners of the Mediator complex in P. falciparum.
  • To explore the potential roles of the Mediator complex in P. falciparum gene expression and cellular processes.

Main Methods:

  • Co-immunoprecipitation was used to isolate proteins interacting with the PfMed31 subunit.
  • Mass spectrometry was employed to identify the co-immunoprecipitated proteins.
  • Bioinformatic analysis was used to identify predicted Mediator subunits in the P. falciparum genome.

Main Results:

  • Physical evidence for the Mediator complex in P. falciparum was established.
  • Eleven of fourteen predicted Mediator subunits were identified, along with two uncharacterized proteins (PF3D7_0526800 and PF3D7_1363600).
  • Interaction partners involved in transcriptional control, mRNA processing, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function/stress response were identified, suggesting crosstalk.

Conclusions:

  • The Mediator complex is physically present in Plasmodium falciparum.
  • The complex plays both conserved and unique roles in regulating gene expression.
  • The identified crosstalk between the Mediator complex and ER stress response pathways offers new avenues for research.

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