Cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding the homologue of Ran/TC4 GTP-binding protein from Plasmodium falciparum

In our effort to identify and study proteins that are important for the progression of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, through the cell cycle, we have cloned and sequenced the homologue of Ras-related nuclear protein Ran/TC4 (PfRan). The predicted peptide sequence of PfRan is 214 amino acids long and contains consensus motifs of the Ras superfamily. The expression of a 1.7 kb PfRan transcript changes during the cell cycle, reaching a peak at the trophozoite stage of growth of the parasite. The recombinant PfRan binds GTP similar to other Ras-like proteins.