Finding membrane transport proteins from the malaria parasite genome.

The full sequence of the genome of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, was published at the end of 2002. In the accompanying article (Nature, 419, 498-511), those involved commented that the parasite has a "a very limited repertoire of membrane transporters"; i.e. proteins that have the job of moving small molecules and ions into and out of the parasite, as well as between the various compartments within the parasite. Membrane transporters play a key role in the uptake of nutrients, the expulsion of waste products, ion balance, and antimalarial drug resistance. The apparent paucity of this type of protein in the parasite was therefore surprising.

In this study we have used a range of techniques to attempt to uncover more transporter proteins in the malaria parasite, to gain insights into their physiological roles and, for some of them, to investigate when they are actually produced by the parasite. Our analysis has essentially doubled the number of transport proteins known to be present in the malaria parasite and has assigned putative functions to most of these. A number of the newly-identified proteins are of considerable interest as potential antimalarial drug targets.

Martin, R.E., Henry, R.I., Abbey, J.L., Clements, J.D, and Kirk, K. (2005) The 'permeome' of the malaria parasite: an overview of the membrane transport proteins of Plasmodium falciparum. Genome Biology, 6, R26.