Plasmodium falciparum possesses two GRASP proteins that are differentially targeted to the Golgi complex via a higher- and lower-eukaryote-like mechanism.

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/18522993

J. Cell. Sci. 2008 Jul 1 121 Pt 13 2123-9

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Authors

Krueger A, Cowman AF, Marti M, Spielmann T, Foth BJ, Struck NS, Langer C, Gilberger TW, Treeck M, Haase S, Herrmann S, Cabrera AL, Engelberg K

Affiliation

Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Malaria II, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.

Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, relies on a complex protein-secretion system for protein targeting into numerous subcellular destinations. Recently, a homologue of the Golgi re-assembly stacking protein (GRASP) was identified and used to characterise the Golgi organisation in this parasite. Here, we report on the presence of a splice variant that leads to the expression of a GRASP isoform. Although the first GRASP protein (GRASP1) relies on a well-conserved myristoylation motif, the variant (GRASP2) displays a different N-terminus, similar to GRASPs found in fungi. Phylogenetic analyses between GRASP proteins of numerous taxa point to an independent evolution of the unusual N-terminus that could reflect unique requirements for Golgi-dependent protein sorting and organelle biogenesis in P. falciparum. Golgi association of GRASP2 depends on the hydrophobic N-terminus that resembles a signal anchor, leading to a unique mode of Golgi targeting and membrane attachment.

PMID
18522993

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't