Heme Metabolism of Plasmodium Is a Major Antimalarial Target

Padmanaban, G and Rangarajan, PN (2000) Heme Metabolism of Plasmodium Is a Major Antimalarial Target. In: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 268 (3). pp. 665-668.

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Abstract

The malarial parasite manifests unique features of heme metabolism. In the intraerythrocyte stage it utilizes the host hemoglobin to generate amino acids for its own protein synthesis, but polymerizes the acquired heme as a mechanism for detoxification. At the same time the parasite synthesizes heme de novo for metabolic use. The heme biosynthetic pathway of the parasite is similar to that of hepatocytes and erythrocytes. However, while the parasite makes its own $\delta$-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase that is immunochemically different from that of the host, it imports ALA dehydrase and perhaps the subsequent enzymes of the pathway from the host red cell. Many schizonticidal drugs such as chloroquine and artemisinin act by interfering with the heme metabolism of the parasite and there is scope to design new molecules based on the unique features of this metabolic machinery in the parasite.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Publisher:	Academic Press
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Academic Press.
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Biochemistry
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2007
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:39
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/11992

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