Determining the role of ubiquitin in transmission stage Plasmodium

Approximately half of the global population is currently at risk of malaria infection, with an estimated 0.5 million deaths annually. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, which have a complex life cycle involving a vertebrate host and mosquito vector. Blood stage parasites cause the symptoms of malaria in humans, and are therefore the target of most current therapies. In order to reduce the incidence of malaria, and therefore global disease burden, a drug to block transmission between the host and vector is needed. The complex regulation required in transmission stage parasites remains poorly understood. Ubiquitylation is a well-researched post-translational modification which is commonly associated with protein degradation, but also has a range of effects from protein re-localisation to induction or arrest of cell signalling events. The role of ubiquitin in transmission stage parasite development is unknown. The results will improve current understanding of the role ubiquitin may play in the regulation of transmission stage parasite development, and inform future drug discovery efforts.

Basic Science

Oct 2020 — Jul 2024

United Kingdom