Publications
PLoS pathogensApr 2025 |
21
(
4
),
e1013032
DOI:
10.1371/journal.ppat.1013032

Activity-based protein profiling reveals both canonical and novel ubiquitin pathway enzymes in Plasmodium

Smith, Cameron; Hajisadeghian, Mohsen; van Noort, Gerbrand J van der Heden; Deery, Michael J; Pinto-Fernández, Adán; Kessler, Benedikt M; Artavanis-Tsakonas, Katerina
Product Used
Genes
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is essential for Plasmodium falciparum survival and represents a potential target for antimalarial therapies. We utilised a ubiquitin- activity based probe (Ub-Dha) to capture active components of the ubiquitin conjugating machinery during asexual blood-stage development. Several E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, the E1 activating enzyme, and the HECT E3 ligase PfHEUL were identified and validated through in vitro ubiquitination assays. We also demonstrate selective functional interactions between PfHEUL and a subset of both human and P. falciparum E2s. Additionally, the Ub-Dha probe captured an uncharacterized protein, PF3D7_0811400 (C0H4U0) with no known homology to ubiquitin-pathway enzymes in other organisms. Through structural and biochemical analysis, we validate it as a novel E2 enzyme, capable of binding ubiquitin in a cysteine-specific manner. These findings contribute to our understanding of the P. falciparum UPS, identifying promising novel drug targets and highlighting the evolutionary uniqueness of the Ub-proteasome system in this parasite.
Product Used
Genes

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