Last Updated: 29/01/2025
Analysis of SUMOlation of Plasmodium falciparum proteins, during oxidative stress, in erythrocytes with partially deficient glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity
Objectives
*Original in Portuguese: Análise da SUMOlação das proteínas do Plasmodium falciparum, durante o estresse oxidativo, em eritrócitos com atividade glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase parcialmente deficiente
This project will functionally characterize Plasmodium falciparum Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier (PfSUMO) and also to establish its role in conditions of oxidative stress, mediated by parasite proliferation in erythrocytes deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), in Plasmodium falciparum.
Malaria is a potentially fatal disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, falciparum and vivax species, its transmission to humans occurs through the bite of infected female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. However, this can be prevented and treated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2018, almost half of the world’s population was susceptible to developing the disease. Most deaths are concentrated in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, – the Southeast Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific and Americas regions report a significant number of cases and deaths (WHO, 2018). An estimated 228 million cases of malaria were reported in 2018, with around 405,000 deaths, with children under five years of age being the most vulnerable group. In 2018, children accounted for about two-thirds of all malaria deaths worldwide (WHO, 2019). Factors such as the parasite’s high mutation rate and its rapid adaptation to environmental changes and drug resistance have led to a wider geographic distribution. The emerging resistance to antimalarial drugs drives the continuous discovery and development of new drugs to treat this disease. In this context, it became apparent that SUMOlation of proteins may have a protective role in mediating oxidative stress.
Oct 2021 — May 2023
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