Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum

Torretta, Archimede; Lopez-Cara, Luisa Carlota; Parisini, Emilio

doi:10.3390/cryst10070613

Open AccessArticle

Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum

by

Archimede Torretta

¹,

Luisa Carlota Lopez-Cara

²

and

Emilio Parisini

^1,3,*

¹

Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy

²

Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain

³

Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Crystals 2020, 10(7), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070613

Submission received: 12 June 2020 / Revised: 8 July 2020 / Accepted: 11 July 2020 / Published: 14 July 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A 10 Years Journey: Chemical, Physical, and Biological Properties and Applications of Crystals)

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Abstract

Among the malaria-causing parasites, the deadliest is Plasmodium falciparum, which accounts for the majority of the fatalities. As the infection progresses inside erythrocytes, major cellular and metabolic changes take place. For its own growth, the parasite relies on the accumulation of phospholipids, which are essential for membrane synthesis. Within the Kennedy pathway, the P. falciparum choline kinase (PfChoK) has a central role in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine and its selective inhibition leads to the parasite arrest and eradication. Here, we report the crystal structure of the apo and the ADP-bound form of choline kinase from Plasmodium falciparum at 2.0 and 2.2 Å resolution, respectively. These new structural data will facilitate the implementation of effective structure-based drug development strategies against PfChoK in the fight against malaria.

Keywords: choline kinase; Plasmodium falciparum; malaria; ADP; crystal structure

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MDPI and ACS Style

Torretta, A.; Lopez-Cara, L.C.; Parisini, E. Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum. Crystals 2020, 10, 613. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070613

AMA Style

Torretta A, Lopez-Cara LC, Parisini E. Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum. Crystals. 2020; 10(7):613. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070613

Chicago/Turabian Style

Torretta, Archimede, Luisa Carlota Lopez-Cara, and Emilio Parisini. 2020. "Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum" Crystals 10, no. 7: 613. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070613

APA Style

Torretta, A., Lopez-Cara, L. C., & Parisini, E. (2020). Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum. Crystals, 10(7), 613. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070613

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Crystal Structure of the Apo and the ADP-Bound Form of Choline Kinase from Plasmodium falciparum

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