Primary structure and sexual stage-specific expression of a LAMMER protein kinase of Plasmodium falciparum

• Published in: International journal for parasitology 2001-04, Vol.31 (4), p.387-392
• Main Authors: Li, Ji-Liang, Targett, Geoffrey A.T., Baker, David A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology. Molecular biology; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; Cloning, Molecular; DNA, Protozoan - genetics; DNA, Protozoan - isolation & purification; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gametocyte; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; LAMMER; LAMMER gene; Malaria; Molecular Sequence Data; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - enzymology; Plasmodium falciparum - genetics; Plasmodium falciparum - growth & development; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Protein kinase; Protein Kinases - biosynthesis; Protein Kinases - chemistry; Protein Kinases - genetics; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases; Protozoa; Restriction Mapping; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 0020-7519; 1879-0135
• DOI: 10.1016/S0020-7519(01)00126-6

We have isolated a LAMMER-like gene from Plasmodium falciparum by vectorette technique. The gene consists of 3316 bp encoding a protein 881 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of approximately 106.7 kDa. The encoded protein, termed PfLAMMER, is composed of two distinct domains. The N-terminal domain is not related to any previously described protein kinases and has several interesting features including multiple consensus phosphorylation sites for a range of protein kinases, a number of RS/SR dipeptides, a large proportion of charged amino acids, two putative nuclear localisation signals and 14 copies of a tetramer DKYD repeats. The C-terminal domain is characteristic of a kinase in the LAMMER family with the highest homology to the Arabidopsis thaliana AFC3 kinase. Genomic restriction analysis showed that PfLAMMER is encoded by a single copy gene in the parasite genome. A single transcript of approximately 3800 nucleotides is expressed specifically in the sexual stage, indicating that PfLAMMER may be important in regulating the processes of sexual differentiation of the parasite.