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Author Spotlight: Identifying Compensatory Pathways in Malaria Parasites Containing Hypomorphic Allele of Essential Protein Kinases
Published on: November 22, 2024
NAD(P) transhydrogenase isoform distribution provides insight into apicomplexan evolution
Annie Z Tremp1, Sadia Saeed1, Johannes T Dessens1
1Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
None:
Membrane-located NAD(P) transhydrogenase (NTH) catalyses reversible hydride ion transfer between NAD(H) and NADP(H), simultaneously translocating a proton across the membrane. The enzyme is structurally conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In heterotrophic bacteria NTH proteins reside in the cytoplasmic membrane, whereas in animals they localise in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Eukaryotic NTH proteins exists in two distinct configurations (isoforms) and have non-mitochondrial functions in unicellular eukaryotes like Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria. In this study, we carried out a systematic analysis of nth genes across eukaryotic life to determine its prevalence and distribution of isoforms. The results reveal that NTH is found across all major lineages, but that some organisms, notably plants, lack nth genes altogether. Isoform distribution and phylogenetic analysis reveals different nth gene loss scenarios in apicomplexan lineages, which sheds new light on the evolution of the Piroplasmida and Eimeriidae.
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