2025-07-01 カリフォルニア大学リバーサイド校(UCR)
<関連情報>
- https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2025/07/01/pair-malaria-parasite-proteins-could-lead-therapies
- https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)00699-0
RAPタンパク質は熱帯熱マラリア原虫のアピコプラスト非コードRNAプロセシングを制御する RAP proteins regulate apicoplast noncoding RNA processing in Plasmodium falciparum
Thomas Hollin ∙ Zeinab Chahine ∙ Steven Abel ∙ … ∙ Jacquin C. Niles ∙ Laurence Florens ∙ Karine G. Le Roch
Cell Reports Published:June 25, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115928
Graphical abstract
Highlights
- PfRAP03 and PfRAP08 proteins localize in Plasmodium apicoplast
- PfRAP03 and PfRAP08 knockdowns impair parasite asexual development
- PfRAP03 and PfRAP08 knockdowns affect apicoplast gene expression
- PfRAP03 and PfRAP08 specifically interact with apicoplast rRNAs and tRNAs
Summary
The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, contains a non-photosynthetic and essential plastid called the apicoplast. This organelle is of major interest for its unique biology and potential as an attractive drug target. In this study, we characterize PfRAP03 and PfRAP08, two members of the RAP (RNA-binding domain abundant in apicomplexans) protein family. We generate inducible knockdown lines in P. falciparum to validate that both RAP proteins are essential for parasite survival and localize to the apicoplast. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrates that PfRAP03 and PfRAP08 depletion significantly affect apicoplast gene expression. Using enhanced crosslinking immunoprecipitation sequencing (eCLIP-seq) method, we show that apicoplast ribosomal RNAs and transfer RNAs are the targets of PfRAP03 and PfRAP08, respectively. Collectively, our results establish the role of these RAP proteins in controlling apicoplast gene expression in P. falciparum, revealing parasite-specific organellar pathways with biomedical significance.
