Researchers at UCSD have discovered that the single-cell parasite responsible for an estimated 1 million deaths per year worldwide from malaria has protein "wiring" that differs markedly from the cellular circuitry of other higher organisms, a finding which could lead to the development of antimalarial drugs that exploit that difference.

The scientists will report in the Nov. 3 issue of Nature a comparison of newly discovered protein-interactions in Plasmodium falciparum with protein interactions reported earlier in four other well studied model organisms -- yeast, a nematode worm, the fruit fly, and a bacterium that causes digestive-tract ulcers in humans. The authors of the study, Trey Ideker, a professor of bioengineering at UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering, and two graduate students, Silpa Suthram and Taylor Sittler, said the malaria parasite's protein interactions "set it apart from other species."

"We've known since the Plasmodium genome was sequenced three years ago that 40 percent of its 5,300 proteins are significantly similar, or homologous, to proteins in other eukaryotes, but until now we didn't know that the malaria parasite assembles those proteins so uniquely," said Ideker. "Since our earlier research showed that yeast, worm, and fly have hundreds of both conserved proteins and protein interactions, we didn't initially believe our own analysis, which showed that there are only three Plasmodium protein interactions in common with yeast and none in common with the other species studied." The World Health Organization warns that malaria is a growing threat to health worldwide, particularly in poor countries. No malaria vaccine has been developed, and once powerful antimalarial drugs are less and less effective because Plasmodium falciparum has developed resistance to those drugs. Even mosquitoes that transmit malaria are developing resistance to the most commonly used insecticides.

"The demonstration that the Plasmodium protein networ
'"/>

Contact: Rex Graham
ragraham@ucsd.edu
858-822-3075
University of California - San Diego
2-Nov-2005

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Researchers find pathway that controls cell size and division
2. Researchers watch antibiotics, bacteria meet at atomic level
3. Researchers discover gene responsible for Restless Legs Syndrome
4. Researchers witness natural selection at work in dramatic comeback of male butterflies
5. Researchers discover human embryonic stem cells are the ultimate perpetual fuel cell
6. Researchers use new approach to predict protein function
7. Researchers probe risks, benefits of folic acid fortification
8. Researchers identify genetic mutation that may alter tumor cell proliferation
9. Researchers discover method for identifying how cancer evades the immune system
10. Researchers use adult stem cells to create soft tissue
11. Researchers find gene that spurs development of the epididymis