The Apicolipid team, ParaFrap member (Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS/Inserm/ Université Grenoble Alpes), with researchers from the University of Melbourne, has just published two studies in Cell Microbiology and PLOS Pathogens. These studies show that to survive, the parasites responsible for malaria and toxoplasmosis depend on mechanisms inherited from the plant world. This discovery is a major advance for the development of new therapeutic targets for these parasites, which have such substantial public health consequences.
Find the press releases HERE.
Bibliography :
Characterization of the Plasmodium falciparum and P. berghei glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase involved in FASII fatty acid utilization in the malaria parasite apicoplast, Shears MJ, MacRae JI, Mollard V, Goodman CD, Sturm A, Orchard LM, Llinás M, McConville MJ, Botté CY*, McFadden GI*. Cell Microbiology, 20 juin 2016. Link
Apicoplast-localized lysophosphatidic acid precursor assembly is required for bulk phospholipid synthesis in Toxoplasma gondii and relies on an algal/plant-like glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase, Amiar S, MacRae JI, Callahan DL, van Dooren GG, Shears MJ, Dubois D, Cesbron-Delauw MF, Maréchal E, McConville MJ, McFadden GI, Yamaryo-Botté Y*, Botté CY*. PLOS Pathogens, 4 août 2016. Link
