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Mitochondrial RNA polymerase is an essential enzyme in erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Mitochondrial RNA polymerase is an essential enzyme in erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Hangjun Ke, Joanne Morrisey, Suresh M Ganesan, Michael W Mather and Akhil B Vaidya
Molecular and biochemical parasitology, v 185(1), pp 48-51
Sep 2012
PMID: 22640832
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molbiopara.2012.05.001View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

mitochondrial RNA polymerase Plasmodium falciparum gene knockout malaria
We have shown that transgenic Plasmodium falciparum parasites expressing the yeast DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) are independent of the mtETC (mitochondrial electron transport chain), suggesting that they might not need the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), since it only encodes three protein subunits belonging to the mtETC and fragmentary ribosomal RNA molecules. Disrupting the mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP), which is critical for mtDNA replication and transcription, might then cause the generation of a ρ 0 parasite line lacking mtDNA. We made multiple attempts to disrupt the mtRNAP gene by double crossover recombination methods in parasite lines expressing yDHODH either episomally or integrated in the genome, but were unable to produce the desired knockout. We verified that the mtRNAP gene was accessible to recombination by successfully integrating a triple HA tag at the 3’ end via single cross-over recombination. These studies suggest that mtRNAP is essential even in mtETC-independent P. falciparum parasites.

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Web of Science research areas
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Parasitology
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